Vice President Leni Robredo does not see the need to defend herself from President Duterte’s remarks that the opposition is not doing anything for the country’s coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response.
Speaking on her Sunday radio show with radioman Ely Saludar, Robredo was aware that a lot of people are blinded by politics, but she said she won’t brag about her office’s relentess efforts since the pandemic started last year.
“Hindi na ako magdedepensa sa sarili ko. Di ba may kasabihan (I will not defend myself anymore. We have a saying), Ka Ely, let our work speak for itself. Hindi ko naman kailangan depensahan, Ka Ely, kasi useless na pagdebatehan ‘yan (I don’t need to defend myself, Ka Ely, because it’s useless to debate about it),” she said.
In his last Thursday’s public address, Duterte took a dig at the opposition for making a big deal out of the country’s territorial dispute with China but he said they have not helped the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robredo is the chairperson of the opposition Liberal Party.
“We are trying to do our best given our limited resources and mandate. We are trying to do what we can to help,” Robredo said in response to the president.
Once they have identified the gaps, the vice president noted they try to fill those in.
While there should be no politics in helping the people, this does not mean that they will not call out the Duterte administration if there are shortcomings in the COVID-19 response.
“Kasi iyong pagpupuna, Ka Ely, iyong pagpupuna iyong importansya nyan kinocall-out mo para maging accountable, para magstep-up (The importance of calling them out, Ka Ely, is for them to be accountable, for them to step up),” she added.
Accepting “deficiency” in government does not help the people, Robredo stressed.
In the past year, Robredo has received praises for her data-driven and people-centered response to the pandemic.
Among her programs include free shuttle service for COVID-19 frontliners during the lockdown last year, providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and dormitory to health care workers, giving aid to displaced workers, the community mart, the Swab Cab mobile antigen testing, and the Bayanihan E-Konsulta.