Harry Roque on getting emotional: “I apologize kung na-offend po kayo sa manner, but the message remains clear.”
Here’s the reason why Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque went emotional during the IATF meeting.
In a video obtained by Inquirer, Roque raised his voice and “castigating” doctors for opposing the planned shift to granular lockdowns and calling for a retained enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or hard lockdown over Metro Manila.
During the said meeting, Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Maricar Limpin warned of consequences if the IATF lifted stricter quarantine protocols in Metro Manila.
With this, Roque explained in a Presidential press briefing Friday that he wanted to put across a message on behalf of those who experienced hunger because of government-imposed lockdowns in response to the public health crisis.
Roque also apologized for getting “emotional” during a private meeting of the government’s pandemic task force with medical experts.
“I apologize kung na-offend po kayo sa manner, but the message remains clear. Kinakailangan naman po pakinggan rin natin ‘yung mga hanay na nagugutom,” he said.
READ ALSO: Roque Pissed Off During a Zoom Meeting, Castigates Doctor’s Group
Confirming the viral video that was obtained by Inquirer, Roque said that he’s emotional over the recommendation of Dr. Maricar Limpin and Dr. Antonio Dans to impose a hard lockdown in Metro Manila.
Roque also claimed that Dr. Limpin and Dr. Dans suddenly joined the IATF meeting virtually and told officials that they should instead implement a hard lockdown for the next two weeks or else “many people will die”.
According to him, he only became emotional when Dr. Limpin started to cry.
“Kapag ikaw ay hindi sang-ayon sa hard lockdown na magiging dahilan para magutom ang ating kababayan, hindi ibig sabihin noon na hindi ka na concerned sa mga nagkakasakit. Nagalit po talaga ako dahil sa tingin ko, panahon na po na marinig ang inyong boses ng IATF. Tama na po ang lockdown,” Roque said.
Known for his line “Kalma, ako lang ‘to”, Roque claimed that it’s his “first time he lost his bearings” in an IATF meeting but he denied allegations that he cursed the doctors.
Roque’s explanation came as he discussed the guidelines for the proposed pilot granular lockdowns in Metro Manila. According to a report on Manila Bulletin, the localized granular lockdown system had since been converted to the Alert Level System (ALS).
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