COVID-19 origin tracing vital but need not be politicized --- Roque

Malacañang stressed the importance of finding the true origin of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that has put the people behind face masks and the world in turmoil since 2020 but said the issue should not be politicized.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after 48 diplomats voiced their support to advance the study of the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus globally and opposed the politicization of the origin tracing.

In his press briefing on Monday, August 2, Roque agreed that it was important to trace the origin of COVID-19 but this journey should not be mixed with politics.

"Yung isyu po kung saan nagmula ang COVID-19, dapat malaman natin. Pero iwan na po natin 'yan sa mga scientists, experts (We need to know the origin of COVID-19 but we should leave that to the scientists and experts)," he said.

"Hayaan natin syensya ang sumagot. 'Wag natin bigyan ng political answer (We should let science answer the question. We shouldn't give it a political answer)," he added.

According to Roque, politicizing the issue will only hinder the cooperation of all countries in fighting the pandemic.

"COVID-19 is the common enemy ng entire humanity. Kahit anong nasyonalidad mo, kahit anong kulay mo, uri mo, anyo mo, kalaban natin ang COVID-19 (Regardless of nationality, color, race, or form, COVID-19 is our enemy)," he said.

"Kinakailangan po eh magkapit-bisig ang buong daigdig para labanan itong COVID-19 na ito. Ang problema po, 'pag pinulitika natin, eh magiging hadlang po 'yan sa ating pagkakapit-bisig (The entire world needed to work together to fight the pandemic. The problem is if we politicize it, it will hinder our cooperation)," he added.

COVID-19 was first traced to a so-called "wet market" in Wuhan in the Hubei province of China in late 2019, and it was suggested that this was where it made the leap from animals to humans.

Data from Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center showed that as of August 2, a total of 198,336,258 individuals were infected by the coronavirus disease and 4,224,492 of them died.

In the Philippines, the country has reported 1,605,762 COVID-19 cases as of August 2 with 28,093 deaths and 1,515,054 recoveries.