Over a year into the pandemic, Philippines must now have someone to pilot the Philippines' COVID-19 pandemic response like how a conductor would lead an orchestra, Vice President Leni Robredo said Friday.
There must be someone pushing and overseeing the pandemic response, and it would be good if it's the President who will step into this role, she said.
"Yung nagtitimon, it doesn’t have to be the President. Although para sa akin, malaking bagay kung Presidente yung nagtitimon kasi hindi makakahindi…Pag si Presidente, mas mabilis. Mas mabilis kung siya yung andun," she told ANC's Headstart.
(The one calling the shots, it doesn't have to be the President. Although for me, it's a big thing if it's the President because no one can decline. If it's the President, it's faster. It's going to be faster if it's him.)
"Pero para sa akin kung hindi si Presidente yun, there has to be somebody na yung ginagawa niya lang, parang konduktor sa orchestra. He doesn’t play the instrument, but he’s the one who’s putting order in a lot of things. Yun yung nakikita kong kulang ngayon kasi," she said.
(But for me, if it's not the President, there has to be somebody whose sole job is that, like a conductor in an orchestra. He doesn’t play the instrument, but he’s the one who’s putting order in a lot of things. That's what I see is lacking right now.)
Philippines currently has Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) chaired by Health Secretary Francisco Duque. President Rodrigo Duterte last year appointed Cabinet members and ex-military generals to lead the pandemic response like chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Bases and Conversions Development Authority President and CEO Vince Dizon, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and Health Undersecretary Dr. Leopoldo "Bong" Vega.
Experts have previously asked the government to change its militaristic approach to the crisis.
Asked about netizens looking for President Rodrigo Duterte and inquiring about his health, Robredo said it's only natural for people to look for their leader during crisis situations to look for "assurance that everything is under control."
"In crisis situations, kahit hindi presidente, kahit nga mayor—pag may nangyari sa lugar mo, people wait for your mayor to be visible, to say that, 'Everything is alright, we’re on top of the situation. This is what we’re doing'," she said.
(In crisis situations, even not the president, just the mayor—when something happens in your area, people wait for the mayor to be visible, to say that, 'Everything is alright, we’re on top of the situation. This is what we’re doing.')
Without assurance from the leader, citizens tend to be stressed and unsure if they can get through the problem, she said.
"Parating yung tanong, 'Saan na ba tayo papunta? Kaya pa ba natin?' I think that’s where it is all coming from...Sa akin, may basis kung bakit naghahanap, kasi ganun naman. Hindi lang presidente, governor, mayor, basta may nangyayari sa lugar mo, it’s the natural instinct for people to look for their leader," she said.
(The question is always, 'Where will we go? Can we still do this?' I think that's where it is all coming from...For me, there is basis why they are searching, because that's how it really goes. Not just the president, governor, mayor, whenever there's something happening, it's the natural instinct for people to look for their leader.)
Robredo said everyone seems to be working, but are all "exhausted already" because the pandemic has been raging since last year.
She said in a "smaller office" like hers, she's hands on in the operations, including the newly launched "Bayanihan E-Konsulta," which offers medical consultations for free via Facebook Messenger.
She said for that program, she had been personally calling her doctor friends to help after their page received lots of patients when it opened on Wednesday.
The Office of the Vice President also recently rolled out a community testing project called the Swab Cab. Using donated antigen kits, the program was able to test about 1,300 individuals in Malabon, where it was first mounted.
Robredo said dealing some people refused to take the test due to fears that if they test positive, they will have to be isolated and their families will go hungry. To address this, she said the OVP offered free rice packs to everyone who lined up for testing and an even bigger package to those who would be found to have COVID-19.
The Swab Cab may be heading to Marikina City soon, as the OVP is currently in talks with Rep. Stella Quimbo, said Robredo.
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