Vice President Leni Robredo said she never blamed healthcare workers for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation in the Philippines but said the government needs to open its eyes and find solutions to the problem.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Robredo made the statement after Presidential spokesman Harry Roque asked her to refrain from dismissing the work output of the country's medical frontliners when she called the government's response to the pandemic propaganda.
In her radio program on Sunday morning, Robredo said Malacañang twisting her words was propaganda itself.
"Yung pag-respond sa aking puna eh propaganda pa rin. Isipin mo, parang pinapalabas nila bini-blame ko raw ang ating health workers. Baliktad yun (The way they responded to may statement was propaganda. Imagine, they made it appear that I was blaming health workers. That's not the case)!" she said.
"Hindi po natin pinupuna yung health workers dahil ang problema natin hindi sila-- ang problema natin yung response natin (We are not calling out health workers because they are not the problem. Our problem is our response to the pandemic)," she added.
According to Robredo, the government needs to step up because they will only make it difficult for health workers to do their job.
"Yung health workers po natin ay mahuhusay, sila yung grabe na 'yung sakripisyo. 'Yung opisina namin grabe na 'yung suporta sa kanila (We have great health workers and they are the ones who have made the biggest sacrifice. The Office of the Vice President has extended so much support for them)," she said.
"Sila 'yung araw- araw sila 'yung sumasabak. 'Pag hindi tama 'yung response ng gobyerno lalo natin silang pahihirapan (They are the ones who are fighting for us every day. If the government's response is wrong, then we will just be making things more difficult for them)," she added.
The Vice President even borrowed the words of Malacañang and urged the government to open its eyes.
"Buksan lang yung mata na hanapan ito ng solusyon (Just open your eyes and find the solution to our problems)," Robredo said.
"Ang dami nating mga kababayan kawawa, pati mga negosyante natin hirap na hirap. Ano ba naman yung hanapan ng paraan para i-improve 'yung ginagawa (Our people and the businessmen are suffering. They can find ways to improve the steps that they are already taking)," she added.