President Duterte asserted Monday that he was not “pikon” (short-tempered) it comes to dealing with criticisms hurled against him.
The President however admitted that he was angry with Vice President Leni Robredo when she dished out "half-truths" about an advisory body’s role in the use of vaccines in the country that allegedly fomented public doubt about its safety.
Duterte informed Robredo that the Health Assessment Technology Council (HTAC) was simply "recommendatory," adding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already approved the emergency use of the Sinovac vaccines.
"Ma’am, hindi ako napikon (Ma'am, I was not overly sensitive)," he said during a televised address Monday, March 8, addressing the vice president.
"Ang akin medyo galit ako for coming with a half-truth na basahin mo kalahati lang, iyong recommendatory power lang na hindi na kinuha dahil hindi na nga kailangan kasi donated iyon eh at saka binigyan ng authority ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (I'm slightly angry with you for coming with a half-truth when you read partially read something about the recommendatory power that was not obtained because it is no longer needed since the vaccines were donated and have been given authority by the FDA)," he added.
Duterte also made clear that he was angry with Robredo but not to the point he wanted to kill a person.
"Hindi ako pikon. Galit ako. Iyong galit ko hindi naman galit na galit na talagang gustong pumatay ng tao. Galit na more of an irritation. Iyong nairita ako sa binibitawan mong salita (I am not short-tempered. I am angry but not to the point that I wanted to kill someone. It's more of an irritation. I was irritated with your statement)," he said. Robredo earlier backed calls for the HTAC review of the Sinovac vaccines, citing the need to undergo the regulatory process to ensure the protection of health workers. The vice president also found Duterte unpresidential and "sobrang pikon" (really short-tempered) when he fired back at her for supposedly making it appear the government skirted the process for the entry of Sinovac vaccines.
The FDA has allowed the emergency use of Sinovac vaccines, which paved the way for the recent delivery of 600,000 doses donated by China. The government has started to administer the vaccines initially to health workers, the first in the vaccination line.
Under the Universal Health Care Law, the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process shall be "institutionalized as a fair and transparent priority-setting mechanism that shall be recommendatory to the DOH and PhilHealth for the development of policies and programs, regulation, and the determination of a range of entitlements such as drugs, medicines, pharmaceutical products, and other devices, procedures and services." The law also stated that the "investments on any health technology or development of any benefit package by the DOH and PhilHealth shall be based on the positive recommendations of the HTA."
Duterte said it is up to the people if they want to believe Robredo's stance.
"Iyong mga taong maniwala sa iyo ayaw magpabakuna, eh 'di bahala sila. Hindi ako mapikon sa kanila. Eh naniwala kayo --- naniwala kayo sa kanya --- kay (Those who believe you and refuse to get vaccinated, that's up to them. I'm not overly sensitive with them. You believed her, Vice President, eh that is your own lookout)," he said.