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Palace says 'in no way diminishing' Robredo's COVID-19 initiatives

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/07/28/20210723-nagavax-express-ovp-3222.jpg"/><figcaption>Vice President Leni Robredo visits residents scheduled to receive shots of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Holy Rosary Major Seminar under the Nagavax Express initiative of the Office of the Vice President on July 23, 2021. <em>Charlie Villegas, OVP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang said on Wednesday it was &quot;in no way diminishing&quot; Vice President Leni Robredo&#x27;s initiatives to help contain the COVID-19 break, after she called for unity during the crisis. </p><p>Robredo in her &quot;Ulat sa Bayan&quot; on Tuesday said the typical &quot;impulse&quot; when problems arise is to assign blame on the opposition and direct internet &quot;trolls&quot; to attack. She also said &quot;The Filipino came to their fellow Filipino&#x27;s rescue&quot; in the pandemic.</p><p>&quot;We welcome the initiatives of the Vice President in the fight against COVID-19. which she enumerated in her Ulat sa Bayan and we are in no way diminishing her efforts in this trying time,&quot; Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in reaction to Robredo&#x27;s report to the nation.</p><p>&quot;Any contribution, including policy recommendations from the political opposition, to ensure the successful fight against the pandemic, is much appreciated,&quot; he said in a statement. </p><p>He noted that President Rodrigo Duterte, in his State of the Nation Address on Monday, &quot;personally paid tribute&quot; to frontliners who provided essential health services, ran food chain supply, boosted economic activity, and ensured peace and order in the crisis. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/27/21/duterte-sona-2021-lose-balance">Duterte merely slipped during SONA; no &#x27;extraordinary&#x27; problem with his health: Palace</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/07/27/21/duterte-sona-2021-abs-cbn">FACT CHECK: Duterte&#x27;s SONA tirades vs ABS-CBN in #SONA2021</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/26/21/duterte-sona-2021-summary">Duterte says final SONA is ‘not my swan song’; to keep batting for pandemic recovery</a></li></ul><p>&quot;The Palace is one with the Vice President in her Ulat sa Bayan message that in this challenging time of COVID-19, it is the Filipinos who helped and came to the rescue of fellow Filipinos,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;We reiterate: Now is the time to focus on COVID-19 and help the national government in achieving population protection; so together, we will recover and have a happy Christmas and a better future for all Filipinos,&quot; added the official.<br/> <br/>In August 2020, Duterte claimed Robredo would &quot;just destroy government,&quot; hours after she made suggestions on how to rescue the economy from recession due to the coronavirus pandemic. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/21/21/leni-robredo-belies-roque-cabinet-resignation">Robredo camp belies Roque, shows ‘receipt’ of Leni’s removal from Cabinet</a></li></ul><div> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1736045" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Roque in November 2020 thanked the Vice President for her suggestion to list the potential recipients of COVID-19 vaccines. But he said Duterte was already &quot;10 steps ahead&quot; because the government has identified recipients. </p><div><strong>WHAT ROBREDO SAID </strong></div><p>The Vice President on Tuesday thanked Filipinos who helped with her office&#x27;s initiatives for personal protective equipment, free transportation, community learning hubs, a job-matching platform, housing for typhoon survivors, and telemedicine, among others.</p><p>&quot;The OVP does not have a large budget; unlike other agencies, we don’t have an expansive political machinery. Our budget is trust; our machinery, a people willing to give of themselves,&quot; she said. </p><p>&quot;Can you imagine what more we could have accomplished if everything, including decisions and policies of the government, was oriented towards this same bayanihan spirit?&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1735427" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Robredo said her office would post online policy recommendations which experts helped craft.</p><p>&quot;Our point: If it hasn’t been done yet, begin; if it’s already being done, intensify. There is no debate as regards the reality: Much is left to do to address, and lift ourselves up from, this pandemic,&quot; she said. </p><p>&quot;Which is why we have persistently reiterated our message: There should be no other priority but the pandemic and its effects. We need all hands on deck and laser-like focus.&quot; </p><p>With some 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus infections, the Philippines has the second highest COVID-19 tally in Southeast Asia. Local transmission of the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant is threatening to spawn another wave of infections. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/25/21/delta-variant-philippines-update-072521">PH detects 55 more Delta variant cases; total now at 119</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/07/26/21/sona-2021-duterte-tiniyak-ang-pagdating-ng-covid-19-vaccines">SONA 2021: Duterte tiniyak ang pagdating ng COVID-19 vaccines</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/27/21/duterte-sona-2021-joke-covid19-plans">Joke of the Nation Address? Palace says earlier forums already discussed COVID-19 plans</a></li></ul>

<p>Malacañang said on Wednesday it was "in no way diminishing" Vice President Leni Robredo's initiatives to help contain the COVID-19 break, after she called for unity during the crisis. </p>

Malacañang said on Wednesday it was "in no way diminishing" Vice President Leni Robredo's initiatives to help contain the COVID-19 break, after she called for unity during the crisis.