Roque clarifies ‘winning over UP’ remark

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said his claim about winning over the University of the Philippines (UP) forecast of 40,000 COVID-19 cases by the end of June was meant to show that people could take action to prevent the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. It is clear that COVID-19 is the enemy, and not UP, he said in television interviews in response to comments from netizens who mocked him for his gloating stance about the country’s 37,000 confirmed cases early this week. “I was congratulating the people, not the government’s efforts, because in the end, it’s the people [who] will determine how fast the disease will spread,” Roque said. —Leila B. Salaverria