Robredo suspends COVID-19 response programs

People line up to avail of the free COVID-19 test at the OVP’s Swab Cab project on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Tandang Sora Avenue corner Visayas Avenue Extension in Quezon City. OVP Photo

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo has suspended her office’s COVID-19 response programs while awaiting the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision on her request to allow the programs to continue amid the campaign period.

Earlier, Robredo, a presidential aspirant, requested the Comelec if the following COVID-19 response programs could be exempted from the election ban even after campaign period kicks off on February 8:

-Bayanihan E-konsulta

-Vaccine express

-Swab Cab

-Medical assistance program

“Ngayon sinuspend natin dahil naghihintay tayo ng desisyon ng Comelec du’n sa exemption na hinihingi natin. Nagkaroon kami ng hearing last week. Ako mismo ‘yung nag-attend,” she said Sunday on BISErbisyong LENI program on DZXL, noting that the last day of her programs’ operations were on Friday.

(For now, we suspended it because we’re waiting for Comelec’s decision on the exemption. We had a hearing last week. I attended it.)

“Humihingi kami ng exemption dito kasi kahit bumaba na ‘yung kaso ay nakita namin kung ano ‘yung number ng humihingi ng tulong sa ‘min everyday. Kapag hininto kasi ‘to, ‘yung iba, walang mapupuntahan. So, hopefully mabigay ‘yung exemption para maka-resume na tayo,” she explained.

(We are requesting for an exemption because while cases go down, we see the number of people asking for help everyday. When we stop this, others do not have anywhere to go. So, hopefully, the exemption would be granted so we can resume.)

The vice president vowed that she would not visit the COVID-19 response activities, should the Comelec grant her request.

“’Pag nabigyan kami ng exemption, hindi ko na pupuntahan. Kasi ngayon ‘pag mayroon, pinupuntahan ko kasi ‘yun ‘yung pasalamat ko sa volunteers,” she said.

(When we would be given exemption, I would not go there anymore. Because now, I visit the activities as a way to thank volunteers.)

“In fact, nag-redesign kami ng itsura ng mga logo para hindi siya ma-identify sa akin,” shared Robredo.

(In fact, we redesigned our logos so it would not be identified to me.)

Robredo earlier pledged to be “on top of everything” in the government’s COVID-19 response, should she be elected as president.

EDV