MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Sunday refused to categorically confirm or deny his being vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as earlier mentioned by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Instead, Lacson hinted that the “vaccination” was just a joke made at the Senate lounge.
“Pag tinanggi ko, lalabas na sinungaling si SP (Senate President). Pero alam mo kaming mga senador pag nasa lounge kami lalo na kung stressed out kami, lalo mahigit isang linggo kami sa budget, wala kaming ginawa kundi magbiruan nang [mag]biruan,” he said in an interview with dzBB.
(If I will deny it, the SP will appear to be lying. But you know, us senators, especially when we are stressed out and now that we have been discussing the budget for one week, we also tell jokes.)
“May kanya-kanyang trip. Minsan hindi mo na alam ano ang totoo at ano ang hindi sa biruan namin. Ako ang isang trip ko kilala nila ako, isang trip ko gustong gusto ko may senador na sumasayaw sa balat ng mani,” he added.
(We have our own “trip.” Sometimes, you won’t know which is true and which is not. As for me, they know that I am amused when a senator rides on a joke.)
It was Sotto who earlier said in a radio interview that Lacson and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez are already “immune” from COVID-19 after supposedly being vaccinated against the disease. Romualdez has yet to comment on the matter.
Pressed further for a categorical comment, Lacson said: “Pag minsan nagbibiruan, hindi ko sinasabing biro di ko sinasabing totoo. Pag nasa lounge kami lalo pag aabutan ng madaling araw para kinabukasan maaga kami, siyempre nagpapalabas kami ng stress.”
(When we talk, I don’t say if it is a joke or if it is true. Whenever we are in the lounge especially very early in the morning, we try to release stress.)
“Kaya pag nasa lounge at naka-break wala nang ginagawa kundi kung anu-anong kwentuhan, di mo na alam kung ano ang totoo at ano ang hindi. So let’s leave it at that,” he added.
(That’s why when we are in the lounge and there is nothing to do but chat, sometimes you won’t know which is a joke or not. So let’s leave it at that.)
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