Harry Roque Clarifies Remark On Unemployment
HARRY ROQUE – Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque clarified his earlier pronouncements on being “glad” that not all Pinoy lost their jobs during pandemic.
The Philippines now has the worst coronavirus outbreak in Southeast Asia. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte re-imposed a second lockdown on Metro Manila and nearby areas to halt the spread of the virus.
The county’s economy also suffered its deepest contraction on record. COVID-19 resurgence was fueled by testing errors and failures in the quarantine protocol. Over 100,000 overseas Filipino workers also went home after losing their jobs in other countries.
Countless establishments nationwide permanently closed or retrenched due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health crisis has displaced millions of workers.
Based on the survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), the Philippines’ unemployment rose to 45.5%. The Malacañang Palace is “saddened” about it but is still pleased that the latest survey result did not reach 100% during the pandemic.
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On an online press briefing on Monday, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque lauded the resilience of the Filipinos. He said the unemployment rate “could have been worse” given the impact of the strict lockdown on businesses.
“We are of course saddened but that’s to be expected with the lockdown that we’ve had because of COVID-19…”
“Ako ay nagagalak na hindi tayo 100 percent nawalan ng trabaho kasi sa tagal na naka lockown kayo, talagang I’m still surprised at our resilience at 45 percent pa lang ang nawawalan sa trabaho. It could have been worse kasi complete lockdown ang nangyari sa atin,” he added.
Harry Roque drew flack on social media for his remarks. Based on a report from ABS-CBN News, the spokesperson explained his earlier pronouncements.
According to the report, Harry Roque acknowledged that his statement did not sit well with some people. He said he meant that the crisis “could have been worse.”
“Malungkot po na maraming nawalan ng trabaho sa atin. Hindi po biro talaga ‘yan…”
“Mayroon pong ibang tao na minasama o binigyang kulay ‘yung aking sinabi na nagagalak na hindi tayo 100 percent nawalan ng trabaho. Ang ibig ko lang pong sabihin, it could have been worse,” he added.
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