The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday called on the Duterte administration not to be deaf and blind to the sorry state of the Filipino people who lost their jobs and livelihood opportunities due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Ibarra Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson, reacted to the remarks of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that the Vice President was just politicking for urging the government to improve its COVID-19 response.
Meanwhile, Acting NEDA Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua is optimistic that quarantine restrictions due to the coronavirus disease could be relaxed after February should the public cooperate with minimum public health requirements.
At a virtual meeting with Roque, Chua reiterated that cannot take a reversal to stricter quarantine measures, and data shows easing could come as early as March.
“We strongly believe in the date we’re seeing and if everyone cooperates. I think we can further relax after this month,” he said, with Metro Manila and Cordillera Administrative Region placed under the general community quarantine until end-February.
Gutierrez said the Australian Lowy Institute that ranked the Philippines 79th out of 98 countries in terms of effective COVID-19 pandemic response, and the Economist Intelligence Unit, which estimated the Philippines would be able to achieve vaccinations for 60% of Filipinos only by 2023, are "independent, objective assessments" of the Philippine government’s performance in managing the COVID-19 crisis that should motivate the government to address gaps.
“This administration insists on burying its head in the sand and crying 'politics' every time assessments like these come out.
Secretary Roque's reaction is typical: walang problema, walang dapat ayusin, namumulitika lang lahat,” he said in a statement.
“Hindi ito pulitika. Buhay at kabuhayan ito ng ating mga kababayan. Gusto naming magtagumpay kayo, para sa kabutihan nating lahat, pero paano mangyayari yan kung mananatili kayong bingi at bulag sa ating tunay na kalagayan? Pakiusap lang namin, makinig naman sila,” he noted.