Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he will talk to contact tracing czar Benjie Magalong and will try convince him to keep his post, after the Baguio City Mayor tendered his “irrevocable” resignation over his intentional breaking of COVID-19 protocols.
“Kakausapin ko pa si Contact Tracing czar, si Mayor Magalong, at I will try to convince him to reconsider his resignation,” Duque said.
For Duque, Magalong has contributed a lot to the government’s pandemic response after he was appointed as the contact tracing czar last July 2020.
“Ayoko din siyang bumitiw sa kanyang posisyon dahil napakalaki ng kanyang tulong sa ating pangkalahatang pandemic response. He is a very, very important component of our pandemic response,” Duque said.
On Thursday, January 28, Magalong wrote to Galvez to “formally tender my resignation as Contact Tracing Czar.” He said “several lapses in protocol were committed” in the birthday party for media personality Tim Yap that the official and his wife attended in Baguio City.
The mayor stressed that his resignation is final, as pandemic officials should practice “leadership by example.”
“Kung ‘di namin kaya ipatupad gaya ng nangyari noong insidente, better na lang siguro na mag-resign na ako because it’s all about accountability,” Magalong said.
