By Deighton Acuin and Archie Villaflores

PHOTO: Manila Bulletin/OVP

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said she never blamed healthcare professionals for the current coronavirus pandemic situation in the Philippines but urged the government to open its eyes and find solutions to overcome the crisis.

Robredo made the remark in response to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque after he asked her to avoid dismissing the country’s healthcare frontliners’ output when she called the government’s pandemic response as “propaganda.”

In her weekly radio show, Robredo said the Malacañang twisting her words was propaganda itself.

“Yung pag-respond sa aking puna eh propaganda pa rin. Isipin mo, parang pinapalabas nila bini-blame ko raw ang ating health workers. Baliktad yun!” she said.

“Hindi po natin pinupuna yung health workers dahil ang problema natin hindi sila– ang problema natin yung response natin,” she added.

The government needs to step up because they will only make it difficult for health frontliners to do their job, according to Robredo.

“Yung health workers po natin ay mahuhusay, sila yung grabe na ‘yung sakripisyo. ‘Yung opisina namin grabe na ‘yung suporta sa kanila,” Robredo said.

“Sila ‘yung araw- araw sila ‘yung sumasabak. ‘Pag hindi tama ‘yung response ng gobyerno lalo natin silang pahihirapan,” she added.

The Vice President then borrowed the words of Malacañang and urged to open its eyes.

“Buksan lang yung mata na hanapan ito ng solusyon,” Robredo said.

“Ang dami nating mga kababayan kawawa, pati mga negosyante natin hirap na hirap. Ano ba naman yung hanapan ng paraan para i-improve ‘yung ginagawa,” she added.


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