Filtered By: Topstories
News

Duterte still trusts Duque despite flak over DOH's nCoV response


Health Secretary Francisco Duque III still enjoys the trust of President Rodrigo Duterte, a Malacañang official said Wednesday, after senators complained about the Cabinet member’s handling of the novel coronavirus cases in the country.

Nograles said Duterte did not express disappointment in Duque during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which was held hours after some senators accused the Health chief of failure of leadership.

This came after it was revealed during the hearing that only 17 percent of the 331 plane passengers who had traveled with the infected Chinese couple had been tracked by authorities.

“Yung failure of leadership, I think that’s a very unfair allegation. Maybe there are lapses, but that will be rectified,” Nograles told reporters.

“He’s hand on with everything. He’s done his job so far. The President still has his trust and confidence kay Secretary Duque.”

Nograles also said resignation was not the “proper thing to do right now” given the efforts by the Department of Health to prevent the spread of the virus in the country.

“It’s not the call of the time to do something as drastic as that,” he said.

Duque said during the hearing that airlines had refused to release passengers' contact details to protect their privacy, an allegation denied by local carriers Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

The Health chief, however promised to complete the contact tracing process in two days.

“Let’s not gravitate in that situation or that lapse. Let’s move forward from there. I think that’s the best that we can do at this time. Let’s just help one another,” Nograles said.  —NB, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT