Culion mayor Ma. Virginia De Vera took to social media to snap back at a doctor at the Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital (CSGH), taking offense at the latter’s comment criticizing the local government’s pandemic response.
De Vera, in her Facebook post on Monday (March 22), openly challenged ophthalmologist Neal Torre of Culion Sanitarium General Hospital (CSGH), who earlier posted statements slamming “trapos”.
“Doc Neal Torre kung ang tingin mo sa aming mga pulitiko ay ‘trapo’ eh sa iyo ano ang tawag? Ikaw na lang ang laman ng social media kung gusto mo ng away puntahan mo ako sa bahay or sa opisina parang nilalagyan mo lang mg pader ang DOH at LGU sobra na ang ginagawa mong pang mamaliit sa aming mga nakaupo. Igalang mo naman kahit konti sumosobra ka na doctor ka pa naman sa DOH ganyan ka mangbastos ng mga nakaupo?” De Vera wrote in her social media account.
The issue stemmed from the removal of the name and picture of 1st District Rep. Chicoy Alvarez plastered on the ambulance donated to the government hospital, in which Torre previously dared the locals to resist the politicking of basic government services.
In a Facebook post also Monday morning, Torre, without naming anyone, listed seven points on how to be “vaccinated against societal disease of trapo,” pointing out that locals “were not indebted” to the politicians for providing government services funded by the Filipino taxes.
“Pwede magpasalamat sa proyekto na sinulong ng politiko pero wala kang kailangang bayaran na utang na loob sa kanila lalo na kung pera ng taumbayan ang ginamit. Trabaho nila yan na mag-isip ng magagandang proyekto at pinapasweldo mo sila dito sa pamamagitan ng pagbayad ng buwis o sa pagbili ng mga bagay na may buwis,” Torre said in his seven-point argument.
Officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Health (DOH) have yet to issue any statement despite multiple attempts for an interview to comment on the rising rift between De Vera and Torre.
