Roque: No plan to file raps vs. Cebu Gov Garcia over quarantine ‘innovation’

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday denied he is mulling to file  charges against Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia supposedly over the latter’s decision to “defy” the national government’s COVID-19 quarantine protocol on returning overseas Filipinos, saying it was not his job to do so.

Roque was responding to Garcia’s claim that Roque is reportedly mulling a legal action against her since the Cebu official imposed testing upon arrival on returning overseas Filipinos to Cebu which is inconsistent with the national government’s protocol to test on the seventh day of quarantine since coronavirus takes time before it is detected.

“Walang katotohanan po ito,” Roque said.

(This is not true.)

“What [is] clear [is] that myself, DILG Secretary [Eduardo] Año told Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco of [the] League of Governors that we will talk to Governor Garcia. Hindi po ‘yan (pagfa-file ng kaso) kasama sa aking trabaho and hindi ko po gagawin iyon sa aking BFF,” he added.

(It it not my job to file cases against people and I will not do that to  my BFF.)

BFF is a shortcut for best friend forever.

Garcia’s quarantine policy was followed by the Office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issuing a memo rerouting Cebu-bound international flights  to Manila from May 29 to June 5. Roque denied the rerouting was prompted by Garcia’s actions. 

Roque, however, maintained that Garcia is not defiant.

“She just tried to innovate because of the lack of quarantine facilities,” he said.

“That is why Governor Gwen and the President will be meeting today to talk about this and we should just wait for the result of that meeting,” he added. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News