MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday said her office will pause its COVID-19 programs pending the Commission on Elections' go signal for them to continue during the campaign period for the May elections.

The Office of the Vice President earlier asked the poll body for an exemption to continue its mobile coronavirus testing, vaccination drive, and free online medical consultation during the campaign period that starts on Tuesday.

"Ngayon, hininto muna namin pending ‘yung exemption kung ibibigay," Robredo, a presidential contender, said in a chance interview in her hometown Naga City.

(For now, we will stop pending the exemption, if it will be granted.)

"Noong kami naman ay nag-appear before Comelec during the hearing saka sa memorandum namin, nangako kami na kung ibibigay sa amin ‘yung exemption na ‘yun, sisiguraduhin namin na we will exert all effort para ‘yung attribution ay hindi mabigay sa akin as a candidate," she added.

(When we appeared before Comelec during the hearing and in our memorandum, we promised that if we are given that exemption, we will ensure that we will exert all effort so that attribution won't be given to me as a candidate.)

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Robredo said she would refrain from appearing in the pandemic programs and the look for all paraphernalia would be changed.

"Kami, naiintindihan namin na kinakailangan ito para hindi nagagamit ‘yung— hindi nagagamit ‘yung puwesto saka ‘yung funds ng pamahalaan para— para makatulong sa aking candidacy," said the Vice President.

"We perfectly understand, pero at the same time, wini-wish din namin na mabigay ‘yung exemptions kasi kung hindi ito mabigay, marami talagang— marami ‘yung mga umaasa sa services ng opisina namin na hindi makaka-avail," she added.

(We understand this is necessary so that the position and the funds of government are not used to help my candidacy. We perfectly understand, but at the same time, we wish that the exemptions are granted because otherwise, many who rely on our office's services would not be able to avail them.)

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