The hits just keep on coming.
A day after President Duterte hurled a disparaging remark about Senator Leila de Lima, Malacañang took another swipe at the detained senator and claimed she could be living with dementia.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque commented about De Lima's health in trying to dispel her allegation about the shortage in vaccine supply despite the government's huge loans.
"Well, siguro po dementia na po iyan sa—dahil sa kaniyang pagkakakulong (Well, she probably has dementia because of her detention)," Roque said during a virtual press conference Friday, March 19.
Roque explained that the vaccine procurement would be coursed through the country's lending partners such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank. He said no government official would get hold of the actual vaccine funds since the funds obtained from foreign lending institutions will go straight to the supplier.
"Iyong inutang po natin para sa bakuna, hindi po natin nakukuhang cash iyon. Iyong mga inutang po natin sa multilateral lending agencies, diretso pong pupunta iyon sa mga manufacturers (The loans we got for the vaccine procurement we did not get it in cash. The funds borrowed from the multilateral lending agencies will go straight to the manufacturers)," he said.
"Ibig sabihin po, bagama’t tayo po ay binigyan ng kumbaga credit line, iyong pag-draw down po sa credit line para sa pagbili ng bakuna didiretso po iyan sa vaccine manufacturer (It means even though we are given a credit line, the funds to be drawn to buy vaccines will go to the vaccine manufacturer)," he said.
De Lima earlier hit back at the President for allegedly resorting to name-calling and gossip to divert public attention away from his alleged incompetence.
The senator, currently detained pending a trial on drug charges, said the country was experiencing insufficient vaccine supply despite billions in loans secured by the government.
The President, in his visit to Leyte Thursday, March 18, called De Lima a "bitch" who made the world believe she was a "prisoner of conscience."
Duterte claimed that De Lima had an affair with an inmate at the state penitentiary.