President Rodrigo Duterte answered in his televised public address on Tuesday the statement of Vice President Leni Robredo regarding the government’s COVID-19 response.
“Please do not add fuel to the fire. You will just destroy government. Huwag ninyong… sirain ang gobyerno kasi masisira ang tao. ‘Pag nasisira ang gobyerno, lulutang tayo lahat (Do not destroy the government because the people will be devastated. If the government is destroyed, we will all float),” President Duterte stressed.
“Maski na sabihin pa ninyo mamatay ako bukas (Even if you say that I will die tomorrow), it cannot… solve the problem of the country,” he continued.
Robredo in her own public address provided suggestions to address the health crisis but it was the latter part of her speech which the Chief Executive responded to.
“Kung walang mamumuno, tayo mismo ang hahakbang, tayo mismo ang magtutulungan. Tayo mismo ang bibitbit sa isa’t isa. Tayo mismo ang haharap, tayo mismo ang mangunguna, gagampanan natin ang anumang tungkulin para daigin ang anumang pagsubok, sa ngalan ng ating kapwa (If no one will lead, we ourselves will address it and help each other. We will lift each other up. We will face it ourselves, we will take the initiative, and we will serve whatever functions to overcome challenges in the name of our fellowmen),” Robredo stated.
In a separate statement, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Robredo “should lead the opposition as well as the critics and detractors, to appeal to the nation and to persuade the citizenry to consciously and conscientiously observe the minimum health requirements.”
Meanwhile, cabinet members gave updates on government programs amid the pandemic, including the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), Small Business Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS), and COVID-19 adjustment measures program (CAMP).
“I will make sure as long as I have these guys here with me in the team, ‘yung Task Force, ‘yung pera ninyo (your money), I have no doubt that they will not allow corruption… Congress is free to participate or create oversight of committees, committees of all sorts,” President Duterte assured.
Similar to his previous statements, he guaranteed that the government will strive to provide the Filipino people a vaccine against COVID-19 once it is out in the market.
– Report from Mela Lesmoras
