Palace spokesman Harry Roque sings during a Wowowin guesting on May 27, 2020
As the country grappled with the effects of typhoon “Ulysses” that flooded parts of Luzon, left dozens of people dead and rendered thousands homeless, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said a viral video of himself singing in front of a Baguio crowd was just him “unloading a little.”
“Just when I thought I could unload a little after a hectic week/s, my unremarkable singing as a means of unloading goes public and I get a beating,” Roque said in a message to reporters.
Roque was documented singing the Eraserheads hit “Pare Ko” in Baguio on Friday night.
WATCH: Presidential Spokesman Sec. Harry Roque partying in Baguio while #UlyssesPH was pounding Luzon
(Seems parties are allowed — with little or no safety protocols — only when they're led or in honor of high government officials.) pic.twitter.com/YqTBYwrXKw
— Tonyo Cruz (@tonyocruz) November 14, 2020
In the video, Roque is seen without a face mask and shield as he sings in front of a crowd.
“Having said this, let us go back to the most pressing matter at the moment, which is providing the much-needed assistance to our distressed brothers and sisters in the aftermath of typhoon ‘Ulysses,'” Roque said.
He added that his family was “preparing/repacking” 600 bags of rice to be donated to typhoon victims in Alcala, Cagayan Valley.
The Department of Health earlier warned that singing activities could cause a spike in Covid-19 transitions during the holiday season.
According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe heavily.
“Ulysses” has killed at least 37 people, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. John Ezekiel J. Hirro