Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday said it was "unchristian" to ask how he got a hospital room for his COVID-19 treatment while most patients had to wait in long queues.
Roque said he was isolating at home but his blood oxygen level reached an alarming low, prompting him to seek hospital care.
Reporting "alive and well" from his hospital room, Roque refused to answer how his speedy confinement at the Philippine General Hospital was achieved.
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"That is an unchristian question. Ang aking assurance lang sa administrasyon ni Presidente, lahat ng may pangangailangang medical ay mabibigyan ng tulong," he said in a televised briefing.
Before Roque took questions from the media, Department of Health spokesperson Usec. Rosario Vergeire was also asked about criticism of the spokesman's hospitalization.
"We have our protocols and there is also triaging system in our hospitals based on the level of severity of patients when they come in. For this, please forgive me I’m not going to comment on this but as I’ve said, we have protocols in our system," Vergeire told ANC Headstart.
Roque said he was feeling better and could be discharged by Thursday.
"Ito po ang inyong spokesperson, Harry Roque, alive and well, and saying, kakayanin natin itong COVID-19," the spokesperson said, exiting the press briefing.
In the past two weeks, hospitals have been reported to be "overwhelmed and overran", resulting to many reports of severely infected patients unable to receive due care in time.
Greater Manila Area on Sundayu until the end of April relaxed to the modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ. Palace said the decision came after over a thousand additional hospital beds were opened by public and private hospitals in response to the shortage.
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