Manila mayoral candidate Alex Lopez said the renovation and the conversion of Manila Zoo into a vaccination site was a mistake.
“Kung kulang ang pagkain sa hapag kainan, kulang ang trabaho, palagay ko ho hindi po napapanahon na itayo ang Manila Zoo, i-renovate for P1.7 billion, budget po ng tatlong probinsya yan (If there is not enough food on the table and there is a lack of jobs, in my opinion, the renovation of Manila Zoo for P1.7 billion was not a timely decision, that is the budget of three provinces,” Atty. Lopez said during the “Balitaan sa Maynila” online conference on Sunday, Jan. 23.
“Sa tingin ko mali na naman yan... Magkiki-create lang ‘yan ng coronavirus pero ginawa naman nila ng vaccination center. Alam n’yo naman na ang zoo ay maraming mikrobio dyan (In my opinion, it is a mistake... it will only create more COVID but they made it a vaccination site anyway. You know that a zoo has many microbes) and you don’t have to be a genius, just go to Google and you’ll see several animal-borne diseases coming from the zoo. That is the first time in the world, only in Manila ginawang vaccination center ang zoo (a zoo was turned into a vaccination center),” he further explained.
Lopez said that the city’s priority now should be the acquisition of medicines instead of infrastructure development.
“Pero nasa ngayon po na kung saan nakikita ko na ang kailangan po ng taong-bayan ay gamot po, basic medicines. Mahaba pila ng paracetamol, gamot sa ubo, sipon, sa lagnat, wala vitamins ang barangay halls, ‘yung gamot sa diabetes, gamot po sa lagnat. (I see now that citizens need basic medicines. Lines are long for paracetamol, medicines for colds, cough, fever, and diabetes, and there are no available vitamins in barangay halls),” he said.
Countering Lopez’s claims, incumbent Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Dr. Honey Lacuna-Pangan said on Jan. 24, Monday, that the Manila Zoo vaccination site is safe and that its opening was backed by research.
“Hindi naman po ‘yan gagawin vaccination site kung hindi po safe. Ang mga nagbabakuna po doon puro doktor. Pinag-aralan muna po ]yan (We wouldn't have opened the vaccination site if it wasn't safe. Doctors are overseeing the site and we researched about it first),” Lacuna-Pangan told reporters.
Manila Zoo was opened as a vaccination site last Wednesday, Jan. 19.