You know what they say about jokes being half-meant.
Amidst heated discussions over China’s SinoVac being the government’s COVID-19 vaccine of choice, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and celebrity Vice Ganda seem to have taken their war of words up a notch.
On Wednesday, during the “Tawag ng Tanghalan” segment of It’s Showtime, hosts Vice Ganda and Jhong Hilario’s were horsing around following a contestant’s performance of “Clown” by Emeli Sandé. This was when Vice Ganda said to the camera: “Hindi ako clown. I’m a comedian. At may kilala akong clown. I’m a comedian, you are the clown.” He did not, however, drop any names.
This was the latest in a series of indirect insults that started from a tweet by Vice comparing vaccines to sabong panlaba, or laundry detergents.
Sa sabong panlaba nga choosy tayo e sa bakuna pa kaya. Ano to basta may maisaksak lang?! Vaklang twoooaahhh!!!
— jose marie viceral (@vicegandako) January 12, 2021
This seems to be in response to Roque’s earlier remark that Filipino’s “can’t be choosy” when it comes to the brand of vaccine with which they are to be inoculated.
“It’s true that we have the right to good health but we can’t be choosy because many Filipinos have to be inoculated,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said.
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) January 12, 2021
The first batch of 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Sinovac will arrive in February.
Read: https://t.co/Rz2Oloe1G9 pic.twitter.com/xf8ohz9DBM
Then, last Monday during a press briefing, Roque clapped back at the comedian by rejecting his analogy by saying that the vaccines undergo rigorous tests done by experts to dispel doubts over their efficacy. He then proceeded to slam Vice Ganda by enjoining the public to trust experts over comedians.
“Mali naman na ikumpara ang bakuna sa sabong panlaba. Ang katunayan po, wala nang supply na ganun karami. Nag-aagawan nga po tayo sa 18% na available supply. Pangalawa, hindi lang naman po ito gagamitin para sa damit. Kaya nga po hindi lang isa, hindi lang dalawa, kundi taltlong grupo pa ng eksperto ang mag-susuri kung ang mga bakuna ay ligtas at epektibo, Kung hindi naman po natin pagtitiwalaan ang mga experts…sino ang ating pagtitiwalaan? Siguro po hindi mga komedyante,” Roque boldly stated.
After drawing flak from pro-government supporters, Vice Ganda gets the support of actress Angel Locsin, albeit indirectly. In an Instagram story, Locsin wrote the following: “Ayos ‘yung baklang komedyante ‘no? Pinaglalaban ang tama at may malasakit sa tao.”
These two can throw each other shades and call each other clowns all they want, but as far as we’re concerned, only one of them should be paid for acting like one.