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'Can't please everyone': Palace denies vaccine hub inauguration used for campaigning

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Officials inaugurate Wellness Entertainment Sports Arena in Valenzuela City that will be temporarily used as a vaccination center.  Valenzuela First District Rep. Wes Gatchalian" s="" Facebook="" page="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/08/20211008-wes-gatchalian.jpg"/><figcaption>Officials inaugurate Wellness Entertainment Sports Arena in Valenzuela City that will be temporarily used as a vaccination center. <em>Valenzuela First District Rep. Wes Gatchalian&#x27;s Facebook page</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang on Friday denied that the inauguration of a COVID-19 vaccination hub was used as a campaign sortie. </p><p>Officials showered praises on Senate aspirant Mark Villar and vice presidential bet Sen. Christopher &quot;Bong&quot; Go, during Thursday&#x27;s inauguration of the Wellness Entertainment Sports Arena in Valenzuela City, which will serve as a temporary vaccination site. </p><p>&quot;Talagang you cannot please everyone. Bahala na po ang taongbayan,&quot; Palace spokesman Harry Roque said of criticism on the officials&#x27; remarks. <br/> <br/>&quot;Pero importante po na nagkakaroon tayo ng pinakamalaking vaccination center sa Valenzuela. Nabigyan 2po natin ng komemorasyon,&quot; he said in a televised public briefing. </p><p>(You really can&#x27;t please everyone. I leave it to the public. But what&#x27;s important is we will have a big vaccination center in Valenzuela,and we gave it commemoration.)</p><p>Roque added, &quot;Iyong nangyari po kahapon, iisa lang naman po ang proklamadong kandidato doon, so tingin ko po, hindi po &#x27;yon campaign rally.&quot; </p><p>(What happened yesterday, only one of them have been proclaimed as a candidate, so I think, that is not a campaign rally.)</p><p>Both Villar and Go, however, have filed their candidacies. </p><p>Roque said critics had no &quot;achievements or accomplishments&quot; to show during the pandemic. </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=1794939" 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><div><strong>WHAT OFFICIALS SAID </strong></div><p>Roque during Thursday&#x27;s event started his speech by saying, &quot;Batiin ko po ang aking matalik na kaibigang senador, magiging bise presidente Bong Go.&quot;</p><p>(I will greet my close friend, senator who will become vice president, Bong Go.) </p><p>The Palace spokesman went on to refer to Villar as &quot;ang susunod na senador ng republika, ang aking kinakapatid (the next senator of the republic, my godbrother).&quot; </p><p>Vince Dizon, deputy chief implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19 said, &quot;Pasensya na po, kahit na wala pang February, mangangampanya na po ako para kay future senator, Senator Mark Villar.&quot; </p><p>(I ask for patience, but even if it&#x27;s not yet February, I will campaign already for a future senator, Senator Mark Villar.)</p><p>Meanwhile, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos said he owed a &quot;debt of gratitude&quot; to Villar’s family, which he did not specify. </p><p>He said he would campaign both for Villar and Go, who he said &quot;deserve[s] to be the next Vice President of the country.&quot; </p><p>Health Secretary Francisco Duque III called Go, longtime aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, as the &quot;most worthy candidate to become the next vice president.&quot; </p><p>Go during the event said, &quot;Mamaya na natin pag-usapan ang pulitika… Bakuna muna bago kampanya.&quot; </p><p>(Let us talk about politics later. Vaccines should come first before the campaign.) </p><p>The constitution bans government officials and employees from directly or indirectly participating in any electioneering or partisan political activity, except to vote. </p><p>But a Civil Service Commission <a href="http://www.csc.gov.ph/phocadownload/userupload/irmoitd/comelec-csc%20joint%20circular%20no.%20001%20s.2016.pdf" target="_blank">circular</a> exempts from this rule Cabinet members and elected government officials, excluding barangay officials, “for as long as they do not solicit contributions from their subordinates.” </p><p>The campaign period for president, vice president, senator, and party-list groups is from Feb. 8 to May 7. <br/> </p><div> </div>

Malacañang on Friday denied that the inauguration of a COVID-19 vaccination hub was used as a campaign sortie. 