Thread by @rapplerdotcom

Rappler reporter @piaranada speaks to @DocWillieOng about his vice presidential bid – from critiques that all he knows is health to what he thinks of the politicians vying for the same post. #PHVote #WeDecide

#RapplerTalk:

@piaranada @DocWillieOng Q: Are you willing to join any vice-presidential debates?

@DocWillieOng: Yes, actually noong 2019, I attended practically every debate. Pero ngayon kasi ang dami eh, masyadong marami…so baka hindi ko ma-attend-an lahat. #RapplerTalk

.@DocWillieOng: Pero all the major [debates], I will attend as best as I could. Kasi I have Facebook Live din eh. Nagla-Live ako twice a day. Siyempre, I have to do research.

#RapplerTalk

.@DocWillieOng on criticizing fellow VP candidates: Kakaiba ako kasi hindi talaga ako maninira sa ibang candidates eh.

#RapplerTalk

@DocWillieOng .@DocWillieOng: Sinabi ko rin kay Isko noong kinukuha niya ako: I will stay myself. Doktor ako, tutulong ako pero sa iba, hindi ako maninira.

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.@DocWillieOng: I think it’s counterproductive…. Ano ang tulong [ng paninira] sa tao? Away lang ‘yun eh, news lang ‘yun.

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.@piaranada: How would you convince the voters to vote for you, who is a doctor, and not for your opponents who are politicians?

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.@DocWillieOng: Hindi ko iniisip ‘yung convincing voters…. Talagang pinagdasal ko ‘tong maigi eh. Feeling ko parang dito talaga ako dinadala.

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.@DocWillieOng: I really had no plans to run…. Sabi ko: Malabo, wala akong pera. Wala akong campaign funds noong 2019. I only spent P600,000+.

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.@DocWillieOng says he has not asked for financial support from businessmen, he uses own funds for campaign. He emphasizes that he is not indebted to anyone.

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.@DocWillieOng refuses to criticize opponents for vice-presidential bid: Hindi rin ako tumitira sa iba kasi nakikita ko it’s a big problem…. Ang dami mo nang kaaway. Hindi ko kailangan ‘yon eh.

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.@DocWillieOng, on health as his main advocacy: Ang health talaga, hindi lang siya gamot at sakit. Ang daming empty, blind spot ng gobyerno natin sa health aspect eh.

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.@DocWillieOng on Sara Duterte’s military service proposal: Iba kasi focus ko eh. Problema natin ngayon [ay] pandemic, Omicron. Ang focus ko ay kung paano natin makuha ‘yung gamot.

#RapplerTalk

.@DocWillieOng: Kung tatanungin mo ako sa ibang issues, siguro pag-aaralan ko sa ibang araw.... Siyempre, doon muna tayo sa pressing matter.

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.@DocWillieOng says he plans to focus on addressing mental health problems that arose due to the pandemic and on building hospitals such as infectious disease hospitals, cancer center, and children’s hospital.

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.@DocWillieOng on being "too focused" on health: Actually, inaaral namin ‘yung ibang issues. Kasama ako sa lahat ng mga pag-uusap sa mga farmers. Meron tayo sa housing, education, kahirapan, foreign direct investments, etc.

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.@DocWillieOng on “catching up” on issues: I don’t think it’s catching up. Naaral ko na ‘yan since 2019.

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.@DocWillieOng on his stance on issues: Wala akong dalang baggage eh. ‘Yung iba, of course, ‘pag meron silang sponsors, medyo mag-iiba na ‘yung answer nila on that issue.

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Q: What aspect of government pandemic response will you change once elected as VP?

.@DocWillieOng: Marami eh. Number 1, we really need to build an infectious disease hospital, maybe 500-bed or 1,000-bed.

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@DocWillieOng .@DocWillieOng: We cannot place all our COVID patients in PGH. Ang laking harm. When you put all the COVID patients there, all the other operations will stop.

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.@DocWillieOng cites teenage pregnancy, malnutrition, lack of education as among the problems he plans to solve if he gets elected as VP.

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.@DocWillieOng on abortion: No doctor will agree to abortion. Wala talaga.... I want to focus on natural family planning – educated families…. Anti-abortion talaga tayo.

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.@DocWillieOng on education crisis: The reason why we all go to lockdown is because kulang ang hospital bed. ‘Pag meron kang hospital for that, mas maganda.

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.@DocWillieOng: We need more medicines eh, not only for COVID. We need medicines for high blood pressure, for mental health, etc.

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.@DocWillieOng, citing mental health crisis as “new pandemic” in the country, says we might even need a “mental health czar.”

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.@DocWillieOng says that in order for the country to resume face-to-face classes, we must build more hospitals and ensure medicine supplies against COVID-19.

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@DocWillieOng .@DocWillieOng on requiring vaccines for students, citing the case of US and PH: Medyo may controversy doon…. Sweden has declined to vaccinate the younger population. They will hold off because the data is not that strong.

#RapplerTalk:

@DocWillieOng .@DocWillieOng on why Isko Moreno should be voted for among the pres’l candidates: I have no problem with the other candidates. I cannot say anything negative about the others because when I look at the five of them, may talent silang lahat eh. #RapplerTalk

.@DocWillieOng: With Mayor Isko, naging tadhana eh. Because this guy is very insistent, sobrang sipag, hindi natutulog.

#RapplerTalk

.@DocWillieOng on Isko Moreno: Ang dami niyang plan. And I can see [that] his heart is in the right place. He’s not a perfect person.

#RapplerTalk:

That’s a wRap! Watch the full #RapplerTalk interview here. #PHVote #WeDecide