President Rodrigo Duterte still has positive stock on Baguio City Mayor and contact tracing czar Benjamin Magalong despite his admission that there were “lapses” in the implementation of protocols against Covid-19 in a birthday party he had attended, Malacanang said Thursday.
In a virtual presser, Palace spokesman Harry Roque maintained that Duterte still has “full trust” in Magalong.
“Buo po ang tiwala ni Presidente kay Mayor Magaling, buo po ang kaniyang respeto kay Mayor Magalong and when he says that the law will be implemented, we trust that Mayor Magalong will implement the law,” Roque said.
Roque also urged the public to just wait for the results of the probe into the birthday party.
“Kinakailangan po iyang ipatupad at itong kontrobersiyal na insidente naman na ayaw naman ninyong sabihin doon sa Baguio eh nangako naman po ang Mayor ng aking siyudad na aaktuhan po iyong mga nangyari rito. Humingi na po siya ng abiso na nagkaroon nga po nga po ng lapses at ang sabi po niya, pati sarili niyang misis ay pupuwede niyang iimposan ng fine,” Roque said.
Magalong himself has admitted that protocols on social gatherings were violated during the party held at The Manor at Camp John Hay in Baguio on Jan. 17.
Roque said mere attendance to the party should not be equated to violations.
“Mere attendance is not actionable. Siya ba ay nag-observe ng social distancing, siya ba ay naka-mask. So kung ganoon naman ay wala siyang liability,” he said.
The organizer of the party, TV personality Tim Yap, said the party was held to promote tourism in Baguio. John Ezekiel J. Hirro