Roque holds Palace press briefing; says he’ll continue to discharge functions remotely
(Eagle News) – When Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reported for work in Malacanang on Monday, March 15, and was just about preparing for the usual Palace press briefing, he did not know that he would be part of the news.
But just before the noon press briefing, at 11:29 a.m., he got the “shock” of his life after receiving the results of his COVID-19 test the day before. It showed he was positive for COVID-19.
“It came as a surprise and a shock na after 35 tests ay nag-positive tayo. Routine na ito (These tests are routinely done), I suppose po I followed all the routine and procedures,” he said. He said he also tested positive in the confirmatory antigen test in Malacanang.
He said he was asymptomatic, or was not feeling any symptoms, and he intended to continue to discharge his functions remotely, as long as he still could.
And so when he opened the Palace press briefing, he had to break the news.
“Naku po, talagang tumataas ang mga aktibong kaso ng COVID,” he said as he read the data on COVID-19 cases from the Department of Health the previous day.
“At bukas po yung magiging case bulletin ng DOH ay makakasama na rin ang inyong abang lingkod, because as of 11:29 this morning, positibo ako dahil sa COVID (And tomorrow, I will be part of the DOH case bulletin since as of 11:29 this morning, I am positive for COVID)” he said.
He said that he took the test on Sunday, March 14, in preparation for the meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte later tonight for the usual Monday “Talk to the Nation” of the Chief Executive
-Roque says he was COVID-19 negative the last time he was with Pres. Duterte-
“March 10 negatibo naman po tayo. Itong test po kung saan ako nagpositibo, ito ay kahapon lamang para sa pagpupulong kay Presidente mamaya. Lumabas na ako ay positibo,” he said.
“Lumabas po ang resulta, 11:29 a.m.. Nandito na ako sa opisina kaya itinutuloy ko po ang press briefing (The results came at 11:29 a.m. I was already at the office so I decided to continue with the press briefing),” said Roque.
He said he is alone in his office room as he is holding the briefing through Zoom, and advised his close contacts to undergo quarantine and testing as soon as possible.
Roque said that the last time he was in an event with President Rodrigo Duterte was on March 11 in Dumaguete City; The day before, on March 10, he said he had tested negative for COVID-19, and received the results 5:50 p.m. that same day.
He had six RT-PCR tests in February, he said. In all, he already had 35 COVID-19 tests as part of the procedures in Malacanang, and as a precautinonary measure to protect the President.
“I’m very much shocked and surpised that bigla akong nag-positive. Always I’d been negative.”
Roque also defended his previous pronouncement that the Philippine government had an excellent COVID-19 handling and response strategy, saying that it was only recently that there had been a spike in COVID-19 cases due to the presence of the three highly infectious variants of COVID-19 in the country, namely the UK variant (B.1.1.7), the South African variant (B.1.351), and the Brazilian variant (P.1), aside from a new detected variant in the country, the P.3 variant.
“Excellent naman po tayo sa handling hanggang this month of March kung saan sumipa ang mga kaso ng COVID,” Roque said.
“Nakalipas na linggo ng Marso doon sumipa talaga,” he said,
He again stressed the importance of PDITR or the Prevent, Detect, Isolate, Treat and Reintegrate strategy.
Roque’s announcement that he was positive for the virus coincided with the one year anniversary of the Philippine lockdown due to the pandemic. The community quarantine protocols were first imposed Luzon wide on March 17 last year.
-Roque inclined to go to an isolation facility-
Roque said he was “Inclined to go to an isolation facility” since his wife had comorbidities. But if his wife would also test positive, they would both undergo quarantine or isolation in a designated facility.
The Palace spokesperson also said that he would continue to discharge his functions because he was asymptomatic.
“Since I am asymptomatic, I think I will proceed, I will continue to discharge my functions,” Roque said.
He said he would continue to be present in the Inter-Agency Task Force on meetings online.
“I will be remotely present in the IATF meetings. I will arrange for Zoom tonight for the meeting with the President,” he said.
“Magpapatuloy po tayo ng press briefings. Everything will be done remotely,” he said.
-Regreted not getting the vaccine at PGH-
Nagsisisi nga ako bakit hindi ako nagpabakuna noon sa PGH (Philippine General Hospital),” he said.
“It was really sad na hindi ako nakapagpabakuna. Kasi kailangan talagang unahin ang mga medical frontliners,” he added.
Roque was at the PGH during the first vaccination ceremonies where the Sinovac vaccines were used on March 1.
(Eagle News Service)
