(KING RODRIGUEZ/ Malacañang Photo Bureau)
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night fired another tirade at Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and accused the latter of “baiting” him to get a Sinovac vaccine jab.
“You know in the protocol, the preferential right is given to 18 above tapos 59. Ako, Mareng Leni, 70 na e,” the 77-year-old president said.
“Masyado kang apurado sa protocol e. We are not even considered as those needing or occupy a priority in the application of Covid. Mahirap kasi ‘yang ano mo, you are baiting me,” Duterte added.
Sinovac vaccines, which were the first to be used in the country’s vaccination drive launched on Monday, were not recommended for senior citizens.
The president claimed Robredo thought he had already received a Covid-19 shot when members of his security group were inoculated last year.
“You are baiting me. Alam mo kung bakit? Nagdududa ka kasi na nagpabakuna na ako kasama ang mga sundalo,” Duterte said.
“You seem to have an angel face but a devilish mind. Ang duda mo kasi tapos na ako kaya you want me to go into a trap of saying things which are not appropriate. ‘Yan ang mahirap sayo,” he added.
In January, Robredo said it was important for Duterte to be among the first ones to receive anti-Covid-19 shots to allay the public’s vaccine fears.
“Mahalaga talaga na ‘yung pangulo talaga ang manguna. Kung ayaw niya, ako willing naman na manguna,” she said.
“Pero ang sinasabi lang natin, mahalaga kasi nakita naman natin, ginawa ito sa lahat ng bansa, ginawa ito sa lahat ng bansa, para ma-boost iyong confidence ng tao sa bakuna, kasi marami ngayong pangamba, marami iyong pangamba sa safety nito,” she added.
In a virtual presser on Tuesday, Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque backed the president’s tirades and repudiated Robredo’s statement that vaccines must be endorsed by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) before being used in the country’s inoculation drive.
“What he said remains… the President said, ‘I read the [Universal Health Care] law itself,’ recommendatory po iyang HTAC, hindi po yan intended to second-guess the [Food and Drug Administration],” Roque said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro