Citing pandemic experience, over 12K doctors endorse Robredo, Pangilinan

Filipino doctors formally express support for the candidacies of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan on Monday, April 4, 2022. Zoom screengrab

MANILA, Philippines — During the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo “really showed up,” and some 12,000 doctors came to attest to that.

In a statement of support, the group called Doctors for Leni expressed their support to the presidential bid of Robredo and her running mate, vice presidential candidate Senator Francis Pangilinan.

“Kami ay mahigit na 12,000 Pilipinong doktor mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa. Saksi kami sa mga masamang epekto ng maling pamamahala ngayong pandemya na nagdudulot ng matinding kahirapan at pagkamatay ng ating mga health workers at kapwa Pilipino,” a statement of support read by Dr. Gia Sison stated in an online press conference on Monday.

(We are more than 12,000 Filipino doctors from different parts of the country. We are witnesses to the negative effects of bad governance during the pandemic which has caused intense poverty and the death of health workers and our fellow Filipinos.)

“Naniniwala kami na ngayon ang panahon na maging makatotohanan at manindigan upang pahalagahan ang buhay,” it added.

(We believe that it is time to be truthful and to stand up to appreciate life.)

The doctors said they only see one tandem that exhibits compassion for Filipinos, has a clear platform to end the impact of the pandemic and to uplift the lives of every Filipino.

“Bilang mga doktor na araw-araw nakikipagsapalaran kasama ng mga taong apektado ng pandemic sa ospital at sa komunidad, kami ay buong pusong sumusuporta sa kandidatura nina Leni Robredo at Kiko Pangilinan bilang Pangulo at Pangalawang Pangulo ng Pilipinas,” their statement further read.

(As doctors who have dealt with the pandemic together with those affected in the hospitals and the communities, we wholeheartedly support the candidacies of Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan as President and Vice President of the Philippines.)

During the press conference, several doctors shared how Robredo’s office was the first to respond to their needs at the start of the pandemic.

“Almost two years na nung dumating ang COVID pandemic dito sa Pilipinas at tayo ay nagulat sa [and we were surprised by the] scale ng pandemic,” Dr. Wilfredo Calma of “Robredocs Tarlac” said.

He recalled how he had to improvise and look for alternatives to proper health protective equipment since there was a lack of it at the time.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) na siyang pinakaunang nagbigay ng tulong dito sa [We are thankful to the Office of the Vice President which was the first to help] Tarlac Provincial Hospital,” he added.

He said the OVP also provided supplies to private hospitals.

“It was very crucial. I remember, I think the second week of the pandemic, nagbigay na siya ng supply sa amin [they have already given us supplies],” he added.

Atty. Cynthia Cabangal-Ng of the “Ilonggo Doctors for Leni-Kiko” also cited the assistance extended by the OVP to hospitals in Western Visayas.

“Alam nating lahat na [We know that] the COVID-19 pandemic was a very challenging situation and VP Leni really showed up during these difficult times,” Cabangal-Ng said.

Cabangal-Ng used to oversee all 12 district hospitals and one provincial hospital in Iloilo.

According to her, Robredo’s office gave PPE sets to all Iloilo district hospitals, one provincial hospital, four private hospitals and one university hospital in the province.

The OVP also gave PPE sets to 18 local government units in the province for their respective isolation facilities, Cabangal-Ng added.

“Sa Iloilo City naman, nagbigay si VP Leni ng P7 million worth ng test kits para sa Iloilo City molecular lab,” she said. “The OVP nag-grant ng P4.5 million na laboratory equipment para sa Iloilo City.”

(In Iloilo City, VP Leni gave P7 million worth of test kits for the Iloilo City molecular lab. The OVP granted P4.5 million worth of laboratory equipment for Iloilo City.)

Robredo’s office also extended assistance to hospitals in the provinces of Aklan, Antique and Capiz, said Cabangal-Ng.

Dr. Anna Lissa Chan of the “Zamboanga City Doctors for Leni-Kiko,” for her part, also shared her experience during the pandemic.

“We hardly knew VP Leni Robredo’s work as our vice president before the pandemic because we were so busy doing our job. All we thought was that she was just the president in waiting. When the pandemic struck, all of us were caught empty-handed, flat-footed. We were in fear because a lot of our colleagues have passed on,” she said.

She noted the scarce supply of protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.

“We did not have enough PPEs here in Zamboanga. Masks were very scarce and very expensive. I remember I bought one box of surgical masks amounting to P1,200 and mas mahala pa siya sa isang sakong bigas [it’s more expensive than a sack of rice],” Chan said.

“Coverall suits were unavailable. Then after a few weeks, we were surprised and shocked that boxes of N-95 masks, gowns, goggles, gloves, shoe covers and neck covers came in from the Office of the Vice President,” she added.

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