Government should direct all of its efforts towards the Philippines' recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo said Tuesday, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his final State of the Nation Address that was heavy on his war on drugs.
Robredo, in a taped address, called for "laser-like focus" in working on the country's recovery from the pandemic that has pushed millions into poverty and had infected over 1.5 million Filipinos.
"Walang ibang dapat tutukan sa mga panahong ito kundi ang pandemya at ang kanyang mga epekto. All hands on deck, laser-like focus ang kailangan," she said in her 14-minute speech.
The opposition head, who is being urged to run to succeed Duterte, said her address is meant to fill in gaps in public discussion on the pandemic response after the President's SONA dwelled mostly on the war on drugs.
"May inasahan sana tayong madiinan na hindi nadiinan," she said.
Duterte's last SONA, the longest since the restoration of democracy in 1896, emphasized discussions on his administration's war on drugs rather than new initiatives to combat the looming surge of COVID-19 infections due to the highly contagious Delta variant.
While the nearly three-hour-long speech included a tribute to frontliners and a call to Filipinos to "pray" for the end of the pandemic, his speech fell short of providing details on how his government plans to accelerate vaccinations to cover at least half of the country's 109 million people this year, the vice president said.
"Walang debate sa katotohanan na marami pang dapat gawin upang tumugon at maibangon tayo mula sa pandemya," Robredo said.
"Ito dapat ang isalamin ng budget, ng agenda ng bawat meeting ng pamahalaan, ng bawat memo na bababa sa buong burukrasya," she said.
Robredo said her suggestions on how to improve pandemic response would be supported by policy recommendation documents that she would share on her Facebook page in the coming days.
A frequent target of President Duterte's tirades, Robredo said the pandemic is not the time for politicking as she took a swipe on politicians who are already sending feelers ahead of the 2022 elections.
"Kung magkakabit ng billboard at tarp, sana tungkol sa kung paanong makaiwas sa sakit," Robredo said.
"Kung may ipapagawa sa isang batalyong graphic artist, sana ang layunin, para dumami pa ang magpapabakuna," she added.
While she has yet to decide on her plans for 2022, Robredo urged Filipinos to set aside their political colors for now, and unite in recovering from the pandemic.
"Magkakarugtong ang diwa natin. At ang tanging paraan para madaig ang krisis ng pandemya...ay ang kumilos ng magkakasama," she said.
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