2020 Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines 55 179 A medical staff in Sultan Kudarat, thought to have COVID-19, was doused with bleach by strangers on his way home. The bleach entered his eyes, requiring medical treatment.243 180 Buses transporting OFWs to their quarantine facility in Batangas were blocked by town officials because of fake news on social media that these buses were carrying infected foreigners.244 181 Nurses working at the hospital where the first COVID-19 patient was confined were shunned by local stores and eateries, boarding houses, and even in barangays where they lived.245 182 An ambulance driver was shot in the hand by an enraged subdivision resident after being lectured for driving a hospital ambulance inside their subdivision. The vehicle is being used to transport hospital workers and is regularly disinfected.246 183 The IATF for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases tasked LGUs to investigate these situations and act accordingly. Also, the president mobilized the security sector to investigate and protect medical workers from any discriminatory acts against them. Mayors of Metro Manila issued a resolution recommending local ordinances prohibiting such discriminatory practices towards medical workers.247 184 In one of its statements, the CHR expressed alarm and stated that it would investigate violence against health workers in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It continued that these senseless acts do nothing but endanger the right to life of our health workers who guard the right to life of everyone with or without a pandemic. Rights of Human Rights Defenders during the COVID-19 Pandemic 185 CHR has continuously engaged state institutions to promote respect for human rights. One mechanism that has served as a nexus for state duty bearers and the National Human Rights Institution is the multisectoral advisory board of the Philippine Army. This venue provides an opportunity for the CHR to influence a key security institution to adopt human rights-based approach in its internal policies. 186 Similar to other countries that are struggling in handling the pandemic, the Philippines has been experiencing a particularly brutal blow from the coronavirus. This is manifested in an increasing threat to economic security brought about by the loss of work that devastated families across the country. The government’s response to this devastation continues to be loudly criticized by human rights activists, journalists, and environmental defenders. However, criticisms on the problematic response of the government were met with a widespread 243 Jamil Santos. “Lalaking medical frontliner na inakalang may COVID-19, sinabuyan ng bleach,” GMA Balitambayan, 28 March 2020, available at https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/balita/731723/lalaking-medicalfrontliner-nainakalang-may-COVID-19-sinabuyan-ng-bleach/story/, accessed 11 May 2020. 244 5 Id at 11. 245 Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay. “Evicted, banned from eateries: Frontliners face discrimination in Iloilo City,” Rappler, 24 March 2020, available at https://www.rappler.com/nation/255653-nurses-face-discrimination-iloilo-city-coronavirus, accessed 11 May 2020. 246 Jamil Santos. “COVID-19 Induced Violence: Ambulance driver hurt in Quezon province gun attack – hospital,” GMA News Online, 3 April 2020, available at https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/732553/ambulancedriver-hurt-inquezon-province-gun-attack-hospital/story/, accessed 11 May 2020. 247 See https://www.cnn.ph/news/2020/4/7/Metro-Manila-mayors-discrimination-COVID-19.html.