Vice President Leni Robredo bared a long list of measures she has already undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during “The Filipino Votes: Presidential Debate 2022” hosted by CNN Philippines and University of Santo Tomas on Sunday.
The presidential candidates were given 90 seconds to discuss what they were doing in the days, weeks, and months that followed the initial lockdown.
The time limit was not enough for Robredo to enumerate everything she and the OVP had done – from information dissemination to taking care of frontliners by producing medical PPEs, organizing shuttle buses when transportation was suspended, and providing dormitories near hospitals so health workers did not have to travel far to go home after their duty.
“Wala na pong trabaho ‘yung mga TODA natin, naglagay po tayo ng mga Community Marts. Nag-launch po tayo ng Bayanihan E-Skwela noong wala nang paaralan, meron tayong mga Community Learning Hubs. Nag-launch po tayo ng BayaniHanapbuhay para doon sa mga nawalan ng trabaho,” she said.
“Meron po tayong Vaccine Express, meron tayong Swab Cab. Meron po tayong Bayanihan E-Konsulta,” she added.
Robredo’s long list of pandemic responses did not go unnoticed by Twitter users.
“We really made VP Leni Robredo enumerate everything she has done during the COVID-19 pandemic that she had to rap,” one user said, to which another replied: “Leni Sunbaenim main rapper era” – a reference to K-pop.
Since health will continue to be a priority due to the pandemic, Robredo said her Health Secretary needs to be an expert in the field, a good manager, respected by peers, and definitely not a political appointee.
“Pero ako po bilang Presidente, in every crisis ako mismo ‘yung mangunguna. Nakita po natin during the pandemic na kailangan natin ng isang Pangulo na talagang naglea-lead from the front. Hindi pupuwede ito na naghihintay lang ako ng report. Kailangan ako mismo nakaka-alam ng lahat na nangyayari on the ground kasi wala po tayong panahon to spare during times of emergency,” she said.
