MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon did not mince his words in saying that the secretary of health has become a burden in the country’s campaign against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
He said in a live radio-TV interview on Sunday, May 24, “Alam mo nakapabigat si Duque sa kampanya laban sa Covid,” (You know what, Duque has become a burden in the campaign against Covid). He continued that the actuation of Secretary Francisco Duque III, of the Department of Health (DOH) in handling the campaign has not increased the people’s confidence on the capacity of the government to respond to the pandemic. “Ang importante ang kumpiyansa ng taong bayan upang sumunod sa alituntunin,” (What is important is the confidence of the people so that they will follow the rules).
The senator said he could not get straight answers from Sec. Duque when he asked about the exact number of people being tested of Covid-19 as well as the projected number of people to be tested. “Nang tinanong ko siya sa bilang ng na-testing na natin, hindi niya alam at nagtanong pa siya sa iba.
Ganuon din sa objective ng testing, sabi niya 30,000 per day, ang sabi ni Vince Dizon ay 50,000 per day,” (He referred to his colleagues when I asked him about the exact number of people who underwent testing. The same is true when I asked him about the objective of tests, he said 30,000 per day, but Vince Dizon said 50,000), he said.
“Sinabi pa niya na nasa second wave na tayo at kinontra naman ng mga kasamahan niya,” (He also said we are already in the second wave that was contradicted by his colleagues), Sec. Drilon continued.
The senator also lambasted the secretary and Ricardo Morales, president of PhilHealth, for their alleged negligence in setting the overpriced coverage for Covid-19 patients, which he says as tantamount to their “failure to exercise due diligence like a good father to a family.” “Ibig sabihin nito sa batas na nagkulang sila sa pag-alaga ng mga bagay na dapat tingnan nila ng mabuti dahil tungkulin nila ito,” (This means in the law that they failed to take care of things that they should have taken care of because it is there duty to do so).
