MANILA – Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has challenged Vice President Leni Robredo to come up with a solution to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) even if there’s no vaccine and medicine available yet.
Roque made the statement on Tuesday after the opposition leader said President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine is “not enough.”
“Hinahamon ko po si VP Leni, kung mayroon siyang solusyon na walang vaccine at wala pa rin gamot, sabihin niya po dahil sigurado po baka ngayon din, maging presidente siya kung makahanap siya ng solusyon,” Roque said.
“Habang wala talagang bakuna, habang walang gamot, wala pa rin po talagang solusyon sa pandemyang ito,” the spokesperson stressed.
As response to Duterte’s statement during Monday’s public address, Robredo said spraying pesticides from airplanes is not a solution to the pandemic.
Robredo also ridiculed the President’s claim on the need for a vaccine to stop the disease and on the country having hospitals to treat coronavirus patients and funeral parlors for the fatalities.
“‘Yung Number 1 po, hindi maso-solusyunan sa pag-spray ng pesticide sa Manila galing sa eroplano,” the Vice President wrote in a Facebook post. “Hindi yata sapat na basta may ospital, kama at punerarya, ang kailangan na lang gawin ay maghintay ng vaccine.”
Robredo also made suggestions on how to respond to the pandemic while the vaccine for the virus is yet to be developed.
She said the Philippines could suppress the pandemic by “medical and non-medical” means, noting that the government needs to “overcome humanitarian emergencies” like poverty, hunger and unemployment brought about by the health crisis./PN
