Roque defends ‘colonial mentality’ remark on COVID-19 vaccines

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday defended his statement last week that those who preferred the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech were driven by “colonial mentality.”

Speaking at his regular press briefing, Roque said he was known for being straightforward.

“Wala po akong pakialam basta ako katotohanan lamang,” he said.

“At ang katotohanan po, may ilan po sa atin lalung-lalo na iyong kritiko ng gobyerno na ang pagtingin nila sa bakuna ay depende kung saan po nanggaling.”

Roque—who himself has spent some time defending and boosting a vaccine made in China, President Rodrigo Duterte's preferred source for vaccines along with Russia—added: "Hindi natin dapat tinitingnan kung saan ginagawa ang bakuna, ang dapat tingnan natin kung ito ay ligtas at kung ito po ay epektibo at wala po tayong ituturok kung hindi po napatunayang ligtas at epektibo, kahit saan pa po sila gawa."

Roque made the colonial mentality statement after he cited the requirement of an ultra low temperature freezer for the Pfizer vaccine, which the government said would only be available in urban centers like Metro Manila and the cities of Cebu and Davao.

“So sa mga mayroong colonial mentality na gusto ang Pfizer, well, puwede po kayong mag-antay,” he said at a news conference on January 11, triggering negative reactions on social media.

The Palace spokesman also said in the same briefing that Filipinos could not choose which vaccine they will receive for free from the government, a remark that also drew flak from several quarters. — BM, GMA News