Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 6) — Vice President Leni Robredo stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a time to be united and set aside politics, responding to President Rodrigo Duterte’s defending her from an anti-corruption commissioner who sought a probe on her efforts to help out during the crisis.
“Hindi ito kumpetisyon. We step in every time we see a need. So tingin ko dapat hindi namin ito tinitingnan na ako ‘yung mas mabilis, ako ‘yung mas marami,” Robredo told CNN Philippines’ News Night.
[Translation: This is not a competition. We step in every time we see a need. So I think they should not say that I am faster or I have given out more.]
Duterte said Friday that he fired Presidential Anti-Corruption Commissioner Manuelito Luna for recommending an investigation on Robredo for supposedly competing with the government.
He also went on to commend Robredo for her efforts in seeking help from private companies to provide for the public amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.
“Si Leni was calling the private sector na magtulong. Naghingi siya ng tulong. Tama ‘yan. Maghingi ka ng tulong sa kapwa mong tao,” he said.
[Translation: Leni was calling the private sector to help. She was asking for help. That was right. You should ask for help from your compatriots.]
“Ang mensahe ni Pangulo is very important if only to emphasize na kailangan nating magkaisa,” Robredo said.
[Translation: The message of the President is very important, if only to emphasize that we need to be united.]
Robredo said that her office’s COVID-19 donation drive has raised P46,850,734, which would translate to over 106,000 sets of personal protective equipment for medical frontliners tending to patients with the contagious viral disease.
Of these, she said 43,575 have been distributed, while 87,570 are scheduled to be delivered.
She expects that the distribution of PPEs would be faster after Holy Week, as local production of the protective suits would pick up after that period.
Her office is also offering a shuttle to ferry health workers to hospitals on eight routes. Their nine buses on these routes carry around 400 to 500 passengers a day, Robredo said.
The shuttle service, however, is only scheduled to run until April 14, but the Vice President said they are now in talks with the Transportation Department for them to continue the project.
Robredo’s office is also offering dormitories for health workers who may have been kicked out of their dwellings due to discrimination, or those who do not want to go home out of fear that they may endanger their families.
