Duterte's spokesman vouches for remdesivir

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday vouched for the effectiveness of remdesivir—an investigational drug for COVID-19 patients—after an administration lawmaker claimed that the government foolishly spent to procure the medicine.

Roque was responding to the claims made by Anakalusugan party-list representative Michael Defensor that the government officials who okayed the procurement of remdesivir were liable for graft since the World Health Organization had yet to endorse the drug.

“Nagulat po ako diyan dahil ang totoo po, nagpaalam na ako sa daigdig na ito noong pangatlong araw ng aking pagkakasakit. Ganoon po kasama iyong aking pakiramdam. Pero noong binigyan po ako ng dalawang dosage ng Remdesivir, pang-apat na araw ay nakatayo na po ako,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

[This took me by surprise because truth be told, I said goodbye to the world during the third day of being infected with COVID-19. That was how bad I felt. But when I was given two doses of remdesivir, I was able to stand up on the fourth day.]

"So ganoon po kabilis ang aking recovery after two dosages of Remdesivir. Samantalang bago ako bigyan ng Remdesivir, akala ko po ay papunta na ako sa langit,” Roque added.

[That is how fast my recovery went after two dosages of remdesivir. Before that, I thought I was already going to heaven.]

Roque then said that WHO is not the lone authority in terms of evaluating medicines.

“We do not only look at WHO. We also look at the results of clinical trials being made by Remdesivir,” Roque said.

The health department has denied buying remdesivir, saying that the use of remdesivir on COVID-19 patients is covered by compassionate special permit issued to hospitals and doctors. —NB, GMA News