Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Vice President Leni Robredo
MANILA – Malacañang fired back Thursday at Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo for branding President Rodrigo Duterte “unpresidential” and “quick-tempered.”
Turning the table on Robredo, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte had launched a verbal tirade against the Vice President because she is “always wrong.”
“Iyan po ay reaksiyon ng Pangulo sa taong laging mali (The President only made a reaction to a person who is always wrong),” Roque said in a virtual presser, referring to Robredo.
Last week, Robredo said coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech has failed to secure a positive recommendation from the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), an advisory board that acts as a recommendatory to the Department of Health (DOH) as stipulated under Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.
Duterte, in a public address delivered Monday, responded to Robredo’s call for a further review of the Sinovac vaccines by HTAC, telling her that the process for the administration of China-made vaccines has already concluded.
The President said he would give Robredo money to procure Covid-19 vaccines for Filipinos.
On Wednesday, Robredo said Duterte sounded unpresidential and quick-tempered when he went on a tirade against her.
Roque, the principal author of the UHC law, reiterated that the HTAC review of Sinovac vaccines is not mandatory.
He said Duterte’s recent jab at Robredo was meant to correct the Vice President.
“Ang konteksto po ng sinasabi ni Presidente na mali na naman si Vice President Robredo, ‘yung sinasabi niya na dapat maghintay ang mga medical front-liner ng HTAC recommendation para magpaturok, eh hindi po kinakailangan iyan (The context of the President’s statement is Vice President Robredo is wrong again when she said medical front-liners should await HTAC recommendation before receiving the vaccine. There’s no need for that),” Roque said.
Roque also explained that Duterte could not refuse to tongue-lash Robredo because the President is determined to protect Filipinos, especially front-liners, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So ‘yun po ‘yung konteksto ng mga pinarating na mensahe ng Presidente dahil hindi po dapat ipagsapalaran ang buhay ng mga front-liner sa panahon ng pandemya (So, that’s the context of the President’s message because he doesn’t want to put front-liners at risk amid the pandemic),” he said. (PNA)
