Andronico Del Rosario
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque was in hot water all weekend as he battled with COVID-19 at Metro Manila’s most in-demand hospital for indigent Filipinos.
Roque was under fire after a reporter asked him how he managed to get a room at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) over the weekend, even as he only had COVID-19 mild symptoms.
He would call the question ‘unchristian’ and even flaunted the idea of hospitals having enough space for patients with severe cases of COVID-19.
(1/2) Presidential Spox Harry Roque on how he got a slot in PGH while many are in line and some even dying as they wait: "With all due respects, I think that is an un-Christian question. Ang aking assurance lang… @cnnphilippines
— Trish Terada (@TriciahTerada) April 12, 2021
(2/2) Sec. Roque: "…Ang aking assurance lang sa administrasyon po ni Presidente Duterte lahat ng merong pangangailangang medikal mabibigyan ng tulong."
— Trish Terada (@TriciahTerada) April 12, 2021
Also, he said his blood oxygen levels dropped to 90 percent, which prompted a transfer to a medical facility.
It elicited all sorts of responses from both personalities and your average Juan, especially with PGH’s COVID-19 bed capacity already soaring past critical levels.
‘Dama pa rin ang surge’: PGH says ICU still full, #COVID19 beds at 90 pct occupancy https://t.co/bDbEIIqjav
— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) April 9, 2021
Reactions from Netizens were along the lines of privilege, seeing as Roque was a Malacañang official.
https://twitter.com/kimtumulak/status/1380776429726523392
I wish Harry Roque experienced how it is to line up and wait in the PGH ER to be admitted just like any other patient. That would have been an eye-opener.
— JX (@itisthehormones) April 10, 2021
He also got hit with comments on being fit enough to conduct a press briefing—yet needing to be in a medical facility, to begin with.
https://twitter.com/call_me_jas0n/status/1381145342117249025
Harry Roque has COVID and is in PGH. We do not know if it is severe or not. But he seems capable of giving a presscon later to announce the quarantine guidelines. So he is no severe symptoms? Kasi baka may ibang mas kailangan ng hospital room dahil severe symptoms, pero naagawan.
— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) April 10, 2021
Some Netizens just felt fortunate they weren’t in the same vicinity as Roque.
https://twitter.com/lovinbrown/status/1381078765728460802
I've been to PGH, seen what it's like for ordinary Filipinos to wait for hours just to get checked up, and I fucking hate that Harry Roque just managed to get admitted just like that while other Filipinos are still waiting.
— 😌🙏 (@himurakanna) April 11, 2021
Roque had himself a busy weekend as he tried to get information on whether NCR, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna—collectively known as NCR Plus—will remain under an enhanced community quarantine or not.
Roque announced that Duterte has approved placing the entire NCR Plus bubble under a less strict modified enhanced community quarantine.
The Government’s reason for downgrading the quarantine status of NCR Plus, according to Roque, is the increase in the health capacity of COVID-19 centers within the bubble.
