Inakusahan ng tagapagsalita ng Palasyo na si Harry Roque ang pamumulitika umano ni Vice President Leni Robredo, kung saan ay lingo-linggo raw ang paninira nito sa mga hakbang ng pamahalaan sa pagsugpo ng pandemya.

Naglabas ng pahayag si Roque matapos himukin ni Robredo na magkaroon ng “all-hands-deck” ang pamahalaan para makontrol ang pagsipa ng kaso ng coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at manawagan ito ng “timeout” sa pamumulika, matapos ang pagpaparinig ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa isang hindi pinangalanang alkalde.

Sa pahayag ni Roque, habang kinikilala raw ng Palasyo ang mga ambag ni Robredo sa pagsugpo sa COVID-19, namumulitika na umano ang Bise-Presidente sa “weekly habit” na pamumuna nito sa pamahalaan.

“While the President has acknowledged the Vice President’s initiatives in the fight against coronavirus, Mrs. Robredo has made it a weekly media habit to nitpick the Executive’s COVID-19 response,” sabi ni Roque nitong Miyerkules, Agosto 11.

72 PDL's ng Manila City Jail, naka-enrol sa PUP Open University

72 PDL's ng Manila City Jail, naka-enrol sa PUP Open University

“It has become noticeable that her criticisms have become incessant and non-stop as the country approaches an election season. This is simply politicking,” dagdag ni Roque.

Habang sumasang-ayon ang tagapagsalita na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin ang muling pagtaas ng kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa, pinaalalahan nito si Robredo na ito ay dati nang prayoridad ng pamahalaan.

“It has been a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach from the cash aid to vaccination to the re-opening of the economy,” sabi ni Roque.

“There is close coordination among the departments and agencies of the national government, health and medical experts, local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders like key private sector leaders not only when we harmonize policies on COVID-19 but also when we implement such policies on the ground,” dagdag ni Roque.

Samantala lagi namang bukas sa mga puna ang Palasyo, ayon kay Roque.

“We welcome constructive criticisms, as evidenced by the appeals of the LGUs’ on community quarantine classifications, but not remarks that devalue the efforts of the national government,” sabi ni Roque.

“We may not be on the same boat but we are all facing the same storm; thus, we have to work on the same goal of magbalik-buhay, magpabakuna,” dagdag ni Roque.

Argyll Cyrus Geducos