The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) issues Guarantee Letters to everyone who needs medical assistance, regardless of whether they are supporters or critics of the government, regardless of political color, and regardless of regional origin.
PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles stressed on Saturday, September 19, that the agency’s mandate knows no limitation and its charter places no condition on who deserves help.
Robles made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on September 19, invoking the Geneva Convention to illustrate just how far the principle of unconditional assistance extends.
He said the Geneva Convention, which requires soldiers to treat wounded enemy combatants during wartime, is the standard he returns to whenever someone questions whether PCSO should help people who have been publicly hostile to the administration.
“Basher and liker alike, bibigyan po natin ng Guarantee Letter. Kahit po kayo basher, hindi po namin tinatanggi ‘yan. Basher, liker, political color, regional origin, wala po tayong problema diyan. Dahil sabi ko nga, even in times of war, kailangan mong gamutin ang iyong kalaban, combatant na ‘yun. Eh tayo pa, mga Pilipino tayo,” Robles said.
Robles said it would be far more wrong to withhold help than to extend it, and that anyone who reaches out to PCSO for assistance, regardless of who they are or what they have said, deserves the same response.
“Kaya sana ‘wag nating lagyan ng kulay dahil kami po ay hindi nagkukulay. Palagay ko mas mali ‘pag hindi ka nag-reach out. Pero kung mag-reach out ka kung kani-kanino, ‘yan po talaga ang mandato namin,” Robles said.
The PCSO general manager said the agency’s charter contains no limitation on who may receive assistance, the mandate is to deliver charity to the entire nation, and the acts of charity the agency is called to perform make no distinction between the deserving and the undeserving, the friendly and the hostile.
“Lagi kong binabalikan ‘yang Geneva Convention, kabiruin mo kaaway mo, pinapatay ka, pero ‘pag nasugatan kailangan mong gamutin. Kami pa sa kababayan natin, hindi umuurong sa pagtulong,” he said.
