Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. (Screen grab/ Senate PRIB file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The problem is the Covid-19, and not Vice President Leni Robredo, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said on Tuesday.
Pangilinan issued the remark following President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest tirades against Robredo.
“Covid ang problema, hindi si VP Leni,” he said in a statement. “Simula’t simula pa, siya nga ang walang pagod sa kakatulong at kakahanap ng solusyon sa pesteng Covid.”
(Covid is the problem, not VP Robredo. From the start, she has been tirelessly helping and finding solution to this Covid problem.)
“Tularan na lang kaya nila si VP, tutukan nang husto ang pagsugpo sa Covid para hindi tayo kulelat sa buong Asya.”
(Let’s just emulate the VP and focus on how to stop the spread of Covid so we are not lagging behind in Asia.)
“Eye on the ball, ‘ika nga. Ang letrang V na dapat tutukan ay ang virus at hindi ang VP,” the senator added.
(Eye on the ball, so to speak. The focus should be on letter V as in virus, and not on the VP.)
Both Robredo and Pangilinan lead the once-dominant Liberal Party as chairperson, and president, respectively.
In a pre-recorded speech aired on Monday, Duterte accused the Vice President of “baiting” him to get Covid-19 vaccine, suspecting he already got vaccinated with some military men last year.
“You seem to have an angel face but a devilish mind. Ang duda mo kasi tapos na ako kaya you want me to go into a trap of saying things which are not appropriate. ‘Yan ang mahirap sa’yo,” the President said.