Zubiri, Binay: Duque's pronouncements on 2nd wave, asymptomatic carriers 'alarming'

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's latest pronouncements about COVID-19 transmission in the Philippines are quite concerning, some senators said Thursday.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he was "very alarmed" about Duque's claim that the second wave is already happening in the country.

"I think we are the only country in the world that has admitted that we are on the second wave... Admitting that we are on the second wave actually shows incompetence on the part of the department or the personnel because that means we were not able to control the first wave," he said at the start of the third day of the Senate hearing on COVID-19.

He added that various members of the medical community described it as a "ridiculous" statement sowing panic among the public.

"I hope that the government can correct this because it's sowing panic among our people that we are now on the second wave and we are going to come out now in the international circles as the first to hit a second wave," Zubiri said.

Senator Nancy Binay also pointed out that the World Health Organization (WHO) did not say asymptomatic carriers cannot transmit the virus to other people.

"Sobrang nakakabahala Mr. President kung ang mismong Secretary of Health na mismo ang nagsasabi ng maling info tungkol sa COVID-19," she said.

"Hindi po sinabi ng World Health Organization na hindi nakakahawa ang mga walang symptoms ng COVID," she added.

During the Senate hearing on Wednesday, Duque said that there is still no evidence to support that asymptomatic patients can infect others, as he cited the WHO.

“Ang WHO, hanggang ngayon po, wala po silang ulat o ebidensyang nakakalap na magpapakita na nakakahawa ang mga asymptomatic,” he said.

Binay, on the other hand, stressed WHO also stated that the lack of evidence "does not exclude the possibility that it may occur."

Senator Joel Villanueva likewise manifested his call for the health authorities to clarify the statements to prevent confusion among the public.—AOL, GMA News