Palace to Robredo: Duterte ’10 steps ahead,’ COVID-19 vaccine recipients already identified

MANILA, Philippines — While it thanked Vice President Leni Robredo for her suggestion, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte was “10 steps ahead” as the government already identified the recipients of the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine.

Robredo, during her weekly radio show, urged the government to start listing down names of those prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available in the country.

“’Eto nanaman tayo. ‘Pag sinabi po ng Presidente 4Ps [Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program] beneficiary, ma’am Vice President, meron na pong listahan ‘yan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday in an online briefing.

(Here we are again. If the President says 4Ps, ma’am Vice President, there’s already a list for that.)

“So maraming salamat po sa suhestiyon pero as usual, nagawa na po ng gobyerno ‘yan kasi may listahan na tayo ng 4Ps, may listahan na tayo ng kapulisan, may listahan na tayo ng kasundaluhan,” he added.

(Thank you for the suggestion but as usual, the government already did that because we have the list of 4Ps, police and military.)

Roque added that the Department of Health knows the medical frontliners who should also be prioritized to receive the vaccine.

“Thank you very much, but again po, a bit too late kasi si Presidente Duterte po 10 steps ahead,” Roque said.

(Thank you very much, but again, it’s a bit too late because President Duterte is 10 steps ahead.)

Earlier, pharmaceutical companies like Moderna and Pfizer have announced that the COVID-19 vaccines they are developing were found to be 94.5 percent and 95 percent effective, respectively.

KGA