BY RAYMUND F. ANTONIO
Vice President Leni Robredo believes it would be a disservice to the Filipino people if she chooses to be quiet about the government’s shortcomings in its response efforts to the coronavirus pandemic.
Robredo said she has a basic right to criticize the administration on how it handles the health crisis even she is not the country’s second highest government official.
“Kahit hindi ako VP, kahit ordinaryong mamamayan lang ako, may karapatan akong ipahayag iyong aking mga mungkahi,” she said Tuesday night in an interview on “Quarantined with Howie Severino.”
“I need to criticize kasi iyong demands ng pagiging Pilipino ko. And the demand for me being a Filipino is to be a part of nation building,” she added.
The vice president was asked to react about her critics questioning her role in policy-making given her suggestions to improve the country’s COVID-19 response.
Robredo herself has spent the past six months helping fill the gaps that her office has identified in the government’s pandemic response.
She has recommended solutions in dealing with the health crisis, economy, education, poverty, and unemployment.
Meantime, Malacañang said it was not surprised about Rodredo’s criticism, saying she always say negative things about the administration.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after Robredo said that she is not calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III because the country has a bigger problem than him – he national government.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said that the Vice President is free to express her opinion although they have already accepted the fact that Robredo will always be against the administration.
“She’s entitled to her opinion, of course. As the leader of the opposition, we don’t expect anything positive about this administration from her. We’ve accepted that. I think people have accepted that,” he said Wednesday.
The Palace official said that Robredo will not succeed in changing the public’s mind about President Duterte and his administration.
“She can say all the negative things about the administration but people still support the President,” he added. (Raymund F. Antonio, Argyll Cyrus Geducos)
