Minding Duterte's insults a waste of time, says Robredo

Vice President Leni Robredo has dismissed President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest tirades against her, including his remark that she has an evil mind despite her angelic face, saying stooping to his level would be a waste of time.

On "The Mangahas Interviews", Robredo said she was not angered but saddened by Duterte continuous tirades against her.

"Silver lining, at least in-admit niya na angelic face tayo," Robredo said in jest.

"Pero ayoko mag-stoop down as ganoong level of discussion. Karapatan niya sabihin kung anong nasa isip niya, pero para sa akin, unbecoming ‘yun,” she added.

"Hindi mahalaga iyong mga sinabi niya. Hindi na nga ako nasasaktan. Nalulungkot siguro, nalulungkot na yung mga discussions na kailangan sana ay mataas, yung discussion tungkol sa policies, kailangan sana maayos pero ibinababa sa level na bastusan."

Robredo also said with the country facing a pandemic, she has no time to answer to insults. "Para pumatol sa ganoong usapin sa tingin ko nagsasayang ako ng oras," she said.

The President’s outburst stemmed from Robredo's suggestion that Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine should be endorsed by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) first before it is administered on health workers

She noted that unlike Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca's vaccines, Sinovac's has not secured a positive recommendation from HTAC although all three brands have been granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

"Iyan ang mahirap sa iyo eh, you want to be relevant. And you….you know, sometimes you make an idiotic stance. Iyong mga ganoong 'they deserve the best.' Anak ka... Bakit ako? I would give them the worst? Mamatay ka na. Hindi  ko iwanan ‘yong mga frontliners and you do not need to really be redundant about it," Duterte said in his televised address Monday night.

Duterte also urged Robredo to go shop for vaccines abroad, and that he himself will fund her purchases.

“Kung gusto mo talaga para mahinto ka, kunin mo yung basket mo, mamalengke ka doon sa labas ng bakuna. Bigyan kita pera,” he said.

Robredo said she finds Duterte's statement not befitting a president.

"Ang unang dating sa akin parang hindi pangulo ang nagsasalita. Pangalawa sobrang pikon," she said in The Mangahas Interviews, as she stressed that people should be allowed to make suggestions.

Robredo also stressed that she is not against Sinovac vaccine although she believes that it should undergo the proper process to ensure that health workers -- the first in the government's priority list of vaccine recipients -- are protected.

She said an HTAC review, though not mandatory, will provide an "added layer of protection" to vaccine recipients.

"Ano ba naman yung kahirapan na humingi ng positive review?" she asked.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday that Sinovac is already under HTAC review.

Sinovac's CoronaVac is so far the only vaccine being used by the government in its vaccination program, which officially started on Monday. --KBK, GMA News