Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday released quote card on politicking a day after Vice President Leni Robredo addressed the nation.
“All I ask, huwag pong magbulag-bulagan, huwag magbingi-bingihan. Dahil pagdating po sa takdang panahon na ngayong ganitong kaaga ay namumulitika na kayo, baka isuka kayo ng taumbayan,” Roque said in a Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon.
Roque did not indicate if this was his response to someone or an organization as the quote card did not include context. The caption also merely indicated the quote.
The Palace spokesman usually releases quote card on his Facebook page without adding explanation or context.
The particular quote on politiciking, however, is not in any of his press briefings.
The statement was made day after Robredo addressed the nation via Facebook.
This was the vice president’s second recorded speech her office released on the same night as President Rodrigo Duterte‘s late-night talks.
It is, however, Robredo’s third “ulat mungkahi” video where she provides report on the Office of the Vice President‘s COVID-19 initiatives, gives out message of hope as well as suggestion to address the pandemic and economic woes.
Robredo’s nation report
In a 15-minute video on Facebook, Robredo last Monday cited the study of The Lancet COVID-19 Commission, where the Philippines placed at the 66th spot among 99 countries in terms of controlling the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The study observed that governments that seemed to fail or struggle in handling the global health crisis employ a medical populism approach, citing Duterte as among such state leaders.
Palace earlier dismissed these findings of this study and claimed that the government’s pandemic response is backed by science.
READ: Palace claims COVID-19 response was ‘science-backed.’ Was it?
However, for Robredo, the country still has hope in controlling the spread of the virus which causes COVID-19, citing health-oriented solutions to the ground level.
These include supporting the strategies of local government units in preventing transmissions within their communities, giving financial support to small-to-medium enterprises or MSMEs and providing alternative job opportunities to Filipino workers.
In her speech, Robredo reiterated her position that the government should not wait for the vaccine.
“Ididiin ko: Nagtagumpay laban sa virus ang labingsiyam na bansa, kabilang na ang sampu sa ating mga kapitbahay, kahit wala pang gamot, at kahit wala pang bakuna,” she said.
Robredo also addressed the Palace’s comment against her continued suggestions and criticisms to improve the administration’s pandemic response.
“Gusto lang naming tumulong. Ayaw naming mabigo ang gobyerno, dahil kapag nabigo ang gobyerno, tayong mga Pilipino ang magdurusa, tayong mga Pilipino ang magkakasakit at mamamatay,” Robredo said.
“Malaki ang problema, kaya dapat lahat tayo may puwedeng i-ambag. Hindi ito panahon para ipagdiinan ang hidwaang Administrasyon o Oposisyon. Sa panahong ito, ang mahalaga, Pilipino tayong lahat,” she added.
The vice president expressed hoped that the Duterte administration would still listen and employ her recommendations after they’ve dismissed them in the past.
“Narinig ko na minsan, ‘What binds us together is greater than what drives us apart.’ Sa nakaraang anim na buwan, kitang-kita ang katotohanang ito. Naniniwala pa rin ako, nasa puso pa rin ng bawat isa sa atin ang malasakit sa kapwa, ang pagbubukas-loob upang makinig, at ang kakayahang makipagkaisa. Dito nagbubukal ang katiyakan ko: Magtatagumpay tayo sa hamon na ito,” she said.
In the past two public addresses, Robredo had been calling for the government to focus on health-oriented solutions to overcome the public health disaster first before restoring the economy.
READ: This is how the Palace received Robredo’s COVID-19 measured policy suggestions
However, the Palace continued to ignore her statements and perceive them as mere negative comments and politicking.
Roque even accused Robredo as being “blind and deaf” after the latter raised questions over the extension of declaring the Philippines under a state of calamity until September 2021.
In a media interview last September 22, Roque also claimed Robredo is already campaigning which he said could backfire.
“Alam naman ninyo si VP Leni, talagang campaign mode na eh. Pero sa tingin ko, magba-backfire iyan. Kasi habang ikaw ay namumulitika sa panahon ng pandemya, lalong magagalit sa iyo ang tao,” Roque said in an interview with DZRH.
“So, uulitin ko po si VP Leni, buksan lang ang mata, buksan ang tainga; wala po siyang suhestiyon na hindi pa po napapatupad. Pero talagang hindi makikita ang katotohanan kung nagbubulag-bulagan at nagbibingi-bingihan,” he also said.
These remarks were similar to the remark Roque issued on a quote card on Monday.