Robredo camp slams Roque's misleading vaccine ad claims

The Office of Vice President Leni Robredo called out presidential spokesperson Harry Roque for lying about a proposed COVID-19 vaccine infomercial, saying it reeks of politicking.

OVP spokesperson Ibarra Gutierrez snapped at the false narrative Roque made on Wednesday night, claiming that Robredo wanted to do a vaccine ad with President Rodrigo Duterte because the government's vaccine rollout is supposedly succeeding. 

"Based on this statement from last night's Cabinet briefing, it is sadly clear that this administration will always put politics first, and will even lie to push its own agenda," Gutierrez said in a statement.

However, the idea of a "vaccine infomercial" featuring the top elected officials in the country came from Senator Joel Villanueva, saying that a third of Filipinos are hesitant to get vaccinated based on recent surveys.

Gutierrez said the Vice President only expressed support for Villanueva's pitch.

He pointed out, "The Vice President simply expressed her willingness to do so to improve people's vaccine confidence, which remains alarmingly low." 

"The Vice President's position remains the same. She has been working non-stop to help Filipinos overcome the various difficulties brought by COVID-19, and will always be ready to do more to serve our people," Gutierrez added.

He was referring to Robredo's office aiding frontliners and local government units in COVID-19 response with personal protective equipment, meals, free swab tests, among others.

Robredo has received her first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, one of the brands issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Likewise, the President also got his first dose of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, even though this brand has not been issued an EUA. The FDA, however, has given Sinopharm's vaccines approval for compassionate use.

Meanwhile, Roque stood by his false claims on Robredo’s participation in the vaccine ad with the President.

“That (what Gutierrez said) is his perception. Ang tingin ko talaga that is volunteering (I really saw it as volunteering),”—LBG, GMA News