BY RAYMOND AFRICA and WENDELL VIGILIA
SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Monday hit the decision of President Duterte to keep Health Secretary Francisco Duque III who is being accused of incompetence in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Lacson was reacting to Duterte’s statement Duque “did not import” the
novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which emerged in China late last year.
At the House, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda chair of the House ways and means committee, told Duque III “to shape up” and “disprove the impression that they are merely reactive to developments by demonstrating to the public that they are in control of the situation.”
He said this will entail an “honest reckoning with current shortcomings, and immediate efforts to improve in those areas — nothing less will do.”
Lacson said while Duque did not bring in the deadly virus, the health secretary failed to do conduct tracing when the country had its first case of COVID-19 early this year.
“No sir. The COVID-19 importers are the virus-infected couple from Wuhan, China, who spread the virus in Manila because your Secretary Duque miserably failed to do a simple contact tracing,” Lacson said.
He also said the plea of medical societies for a 14-day “timeout” or the the imposition of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and nearby areas should send a message that there are things missing in the government’s COVID-19 response
“The health workers’ plea for a two-week ECQ is simply telling DOH that we are not moving towards the right direction. If nothing is wrong with the rudder, maybe the ship captain needs immediate replacement,” he added.
Lacson also said it is not only he who wants Duque to be either fired or replaced, as there are 13 others senators who want Duque out, and “many others in the DOH and the medical community (who) also want him to resign or be replaced.”
“Having said that, I couldn’t understand what ‘amulet’ or magic potion Duque has as far as the President is concerned,” Lacson said.
“His failure to do simple contact tracing on the co-passengers who took the same flight as the virus-infected couple from Wuhan, China, further aggravated by his refusal to assume responsibility by blaming other agencies of government when it was his duty to coordinate that effort, was his first major offense in a series of devastating blunders,” he added.
Lacson said Duque should take responsibility as “we are in this mess.”
