Robredo: Gov’t can’t be complacent during COVID-19 pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said the government could not afford to be complacent amid the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and should instead be open to criticisms on its response.

In her radio show, the Vice President also stressed that her comments on the Duterte administration’s failure to act urgently at the onset of the outbreak were not for political gain, after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque remarked that she was “looking at the glass half-empty” and focusing on the administration’s shortcomings.

“It’s true that I am looking at the glass half-empty—and our office is trying to fill it—because in times of crisis, we cannot afford not to fill our glass,” Robredo said.

“It’s true that we are nitpicking, and it’s true that we are seeing the glass half-empty—but rightly so, because we are in a crisis. The lives of our countrymen are at stake with every mistake we make.”

The Vice President said the administration should not be content with its actions during the outbreak, considering the country’s performance in responding to the virus compared to other nations in the Southeast Asian region.

Data from the World Health Organization showed that the Philippines had the fastest rise in COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific Region in nearly two weeks, more than three times that of Singapore which is already battling a second wave of infection.

“We should not be complacent and content that we were able to already do something right, because this can easily be overshadowed by our mistakes once we do not assess what we did wrong,” she said.

Instead of dismissing criticism as simply politically motivated, Robredo said the government must accept these comments and use them to improve on previous approaches in addressing the disease. INQ