Atty. Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration spends more time attacking Vice President Leni Robredo instead of attending to the country’s problems, the Vice President’s spokesman said in response to the accusation that the Vice-President is responsible for raising suspicions about the vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech.
“This administration spends more time attacking Leni Robredo than responding to the real, urgent problems of our people and nation,” Robredo’s spokesman Atty. Barry Gutierrez said in a statement.
“Kulelat tayo sa pagkuha ng bakuna? Awayin si Leni Robredo. Mabagal ang pagtugon sa bagyo at baha? Siraan si Leni Robredo. Milyon milyon ang nawalan ng trabaho? Insultuhin si Leni Robredo,” Gutierrez added.
(We’re the last to get the vaccines? Engage Leni Robredo to a dispute. Slow response to floods and calamities? Attack Leni Robredo. Millions have lost their jobs? Insult Leni Robredo.)
Gutierrez said amid all accusations hurled against the Vice President, she and her office will continue to do their job.
“Tapos sila daw ang “hindi namumulitika?” Sa kanila na yang puro paninisi, itutuloy na lang namin ang trabaho,” he said.
(And they’re the ones “not politicking?” Let them continue to insult us; we will continue to do our job.)
In his public address late Monday, Duterte told Robredo to “just maybe shut up” about Sinovac Biotech’s CoronaVac after the Vice President backed the call of some health workers for the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) to review the vaccines.
The HTAC, an advisory body created under the Universal Health Care Act, reviews the cost and the ethical and community impact of health technologies — such as medicines, vaccines, or health devices — that will be introduced to the public.
The Philippines first received 600,000 doses of CoronaVac as a donation from the Chinese government, and a million more doses are set to arrive in the country on March 21.