INSENSITIVE, arrogant.
This is how House Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Stephen Paduano described the statement of Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque on the procurement of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines.
Paduano urged Malacañang to censure Roque because his remarks “reek of insensitivity and arrogance.”
“We are in the midst of a pandemic and the least that we can expect from our government (concerning) the sentiments of the people is compassion,” Paduano said.
In justifying the decision to procure COVID-19 vaccines from China, Roque said the Filipinos cannot be picky with the brand of vaccine that will be given them through the government’s inoculation program.
“Sa panahong ito, ang pagiging arogante ng pananalita ni Sec. Roque ay hindi makatutulong bagkus magpapalala lamang ng sakit sa damdamin ng ating mamamayan,” Paduano said.
“Gaano ba kahirap magpakita ng simpatya sa panahong ito? The least we can expect from him is to show remorse, and yet, none is coming,” the Abang Lingkod solon lamented.
The Minority Leader emphasized that “while we understand and sympathize with the Inter-Agency Task Force under Sec. Galvez for their hard work and eagerness to secure Covid-19 vaccines for the Filipino people the soonest time possible, we cannot turn deaf ears to cocky remarks.”
“Resorting to ad hominems directed at our constituents clamoring for better public service may be considered a violation of our oath of office,” he warned, citing Section 4, paragraph C of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713), which states that “public officials and employees must act with justness and sincerity and shall not discriminate against anyone, especially the poor and the underprivileged.”
“At the end of the day, it is the Food and Drug Administration that will determine the right vaccines that should be made available to Filipinos, not Roque,” he pointed out.
