Pangilinan supports Senate resolution asking the resignation of DOH secretary

April 17 ------ Opposition Senator Francis N. Pangilinan said Thursday that he fully supports the resolution signed by his fellow senators seeking the resignation of Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III. Pangilinan said he himself noticed during a Senate committee hearing last February the “weak leadership” of the DOH in confronting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). “On record sa nasabing hearing na ‘failure of leadership’ ang tawag sa nakita natin sa naging kilos ni Duque (On record, we could say there was a failure of leadership based on the way Duque acted),” said Pangilinan. Pangilinan recalled that his call last Jan. 28 for a travel ban on visitors from COVID-19 epicenter Wuhan and other parts of China was publicly opposed. Duque had said his (Pangilinan’s) call has “diplomatic repercussions.” “Inuna pa ang interes ng China kaysa sa kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino (The interest of China was prioritized first before the safety of Filipinos),” he said. At the same hearing, Duque was oblivious to the escalating health crisis, he added. Pangilinan noted that Duque revealed his incompetence as he was unaware that only 17 percent contact tracing of the first confirmed (Jan. 30) COVID-19 positive patient was done and he was also unaware that 31 of the reported 80 PUIs (persons under investigation) came from Wuhan. “DOH failed to do contact tracing of the 31 PUIs, as well as the first confirmed COVID-19 case who arrived on Jan. 21. All these failures led to the spread of the virus,’’ he added. After two months, there is still no noticeable improvement in the slow and unclear anti-COVID-19 efforts by DOH, he said. ‘’Napigilan sana ang pagkalat ng COVID-19. Nagawan sana ng paraan ang kawalan ng PPE sa mga ospital. Napigilan ang pagkamatay ng ating mga kababayan at mga magigiting na frontliner (The spread of COVID-19 could have been stopped. There should have been a solution to the lack of PPE in the hospitals. The death of our countrymen and our brave frontliners could have been prevented),” he said. "Hanggang ngayon, hindi maayos ang contact tracing, ang travel restrictions, at mass testing. Kailangan ng malinaw at totoong datos para malabanan ang sakit (Up to now, contract tracing, travel restrictions, and mass testings are still not in order. There is a need for clear and accurate data to fight the scourge)," he added. ‘’Matagal-tagal nang may State of National Emergency. Kailangan ng malinaw na pagtingin sa problema, mabilis na desisyon, at mas mabilis na aksyon. Sinuman ang papalit sa kanya ay dapat may ganitong mga qualification. Source: mb.com.ph