Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Senate PRIB file photo / Henzberg Austria
MANILA, Philippines — “Let’s not make a big deal out of it.”
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s recent pronouncement that Filipinos cannot be “choosy” on the brand of vaccine they will receive from the government.
“It has two sides eh. Kasi kung ano ang available eh gamitin na natin, ganun yung mentality ng sinasabi nila eh, ng spokesman ng Presidente. On the other hand, meron naman sinsabi na ‘Eh kung ayaw ko eh, ayoko niyan eh.’ Ako naman ang dali ng sagot ko do’n: Eh ‘di wag, ayaw mo pala eh. ‘Wag mo ipipilit, ayaw eh,” Sotto said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay press forum on Wednesday.
(It has two sides. We should use what’s available, that was the mentality of the president’s spokesman in saying that. On the other hand, it’s also: ‘I don’t want that.’ For me, the answer to that is simple: Then don’t if you don’t want it.’ Don’t force it.)
“I don’t think it should be an issue. Sikat lang yung ginamit na term ni Sec. Roque. Yung ‘don’t be choosy.’ Salitang kalsada kaya cute na pakinggan, na pagusapan, pero in practical terms ‘Ito available, ito ibibigay na natin sa inyo ngayon, ayaw mo? E ‘di wag….Ganun lang yun e,” he added.
(I don’t think it should be an issue. It just so happened that Roque used a popular term, it sounds cute. The ‘don’t be choosy’ remark. That is a colloquial term. But in practical terms, he’s saying that ‘This is available, this is what we can give now, you don’t want it? Then don’t…It’s simple.)
“Let’s not make a big deal out of it because it’s up to the person talaga because the government will not impose it, they will make it available as soon as possible,” he further said.
During a press briefing on Monday, Roque said the Filipino public could not afford to be “picky” with the COVID-19 vaccines they would receive from the government, citing the large number of Filipinos who need to be vaccinated against the disease.
Roque also said that those on the priority list could opt out, but they would have to sign a waiver indicating that they passed up on the vaccine. So along with the rest of the public, they would just have to wait for other vaccines to become available.
Such remarks have earned Roque criticisms from Sotto’s other colleagues in the Senate, who said that the Palace official’s pronouncement is not helping the government build up confidence for the nationwide COVID-19 inoculation program.