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Roque 'very rude' for berating doctors -- Hontiveros

Philippines | National

Roque 'very rude' for berating doctors -- Hontiveros

By Vanne Elaine Terrazola

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque owes doctors an apology for his "very rude" approach on their reservations about the national government's plan to relax quarantine protocols, Senator Risa Hontiveros said.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Senator Risa Hontiveros (Photos from Facebook, Senate)

"Diyan sa very rude na official na iyan, dapat talaga stand in the corner (To that very rude official, he should really just stand in the corner). He owes the doctors an apology," Hontiveros said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Friday, September 10.

The senator was asked to comment on Roque after the presidential spokesperson was captured berating medical experts, who have asked the government's interagency task force (IATF) to reconsider its recommendation to implement a general community quarantine in Metro Manila amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.

This confirmed the information released by former IATF adviser and doctor Tony Leachon, who tweeted on Thursday that a Cabinet official "assaulted" physicians during the task force's meeting.

"He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career rather than public service," Leachon said on Friday, alluding to Roque's possible senatorial bid in the 2022 elections, as endorsed by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

In his public briefing, Roque admitted that he got emotional in defense of the IATF's decision, saying they are considering people who have not been able to work because of the lockdowns.

"Pasensiya naman, tao lang (I'm sorry, I'm only human)," he said of his outburst.

Related Tags

Harry Roque Risa Hontiveros covid-19 pandemic response quarantine GCQ

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