Robredo eats spicy lugaw in between call center duty for telemedicine project

Vice President Leni Robredo had spicy lugaw (rice porridge) for lunch, seemingly unmindful of her critics likening her to lugaw for allegedly being soft.

“Spicy lugaw with tokwa’t baboy for lunch while volunteering as a chat agent for our Bayanihan E-Konsulta patients,” Robredo said in Facebook post on Wednesday.

Bayanihan e-Konsulta provides free telemedicine services courtesy of volunteer doctors and other staff, including Robredo’s daughter, Dr. Tricia Robredo.

“We’re trying to catch up with our backlogs dahil andaming pasyente (there are many patients),” she added.

Earlier in the day, Robredo announced that her office kickstarted a pilot run of a mobile laboratory which will provide COVID-19 test, blood test and x-ray in Quezon City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The patients who will be served by the mobile laboratory are those who were ordered by their doctors to get a COVID-19 test, a blood test, or an x-ray via the Bayanihan E-Konsulta program.

Two weeks ago, the popular Filipino snack became much talked about amid the lockdown after a rider was barred by barangay officials from delivering the dish, saying it was non essential.

In jest, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III made a remark referring to the Vice President as "lugaw."

"Ano siya, pabiro ang delivery pero [that was just a joke but] I'm serious in saying that she (Robredo) is a non-essential today," Densing had said.

"Wala siyang ginawa. Lahat ng sinasabi niya puro criticisms, unfounded, minsan magbibigay siya ng program pero nagawa na ng gobyerno," he added.

Before Densing's comment, critics of Robredo have associated her with lugaw since her supporters in the 2016 elections sold lugaw to help raise funds for her candidacy.

Robredo’s spokesperson, lawyer Ibarra Gutierrez, did not let pass Densing's remarks.

"With cases rising, hospitals full and millions struggling… instead of doing real work, he makes 'jokes,' plays politics, and bashes someone who's actually doing the job they're supposed to," Gutierrez had said.—LDF, GMA News