Tony Leachon no longer special adviser for nat’l COVID-19 task force

Dr. Tony Leachon announced Wednesday that he is no longer a special adviser for the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

“It’s with deepest regret that I announce that I am not anymore the Special Adviser of National Adviser-COVID 19 effective today,” he said on social media.

It’s with deepest regret that I announce that I am not anymore the Special Adviser of National Adviser -COVID 19 effective today.I have my full respect for Sec. Charlie Galvez & we will remain as good friends. Lots of good memories. But I have to move on. ????????#RelentlessForChange

— Tony Leachon MD (@DrTonyLeachon) June 17, 2020

“I have my full respect for Secretary [Carlito] Galvez and we will remain as good friends.  Lots of good memories. But I have to move on,” Leachon added.

GMA News’ Joseph Morong reported that Leachon was asked to resign after a series of tweets critical of the Department of Health’s (DOH) handling of the country’s coronavirus response.

National Task Force adviser Dr. Tony Leachon says he was asked to resign after several tweets on the DOH handling of the COVID-19 pandemic did not sit well with Pres'l Spox Harry Roque and DOH Sec. Francisco Duque III @gmanews

— Joseph Morong ???????? (@Joseph_Morong) June 17, 2020

Leachon earlier lamented how the DOH has “lost focus in everything” in the country’s fight with the coronavirus disease.

It’s a sad day as we anticipate the IATF recommendations on Monday to PRRD. Forgive me, I think the lead agency has lost focus in everything. Risk communication , priorities , data management , and execution of all plans.

That’s all it is.#FlattenTheCurve

— Tony Leachon MD (@DrTonyLeachon) June 13, 2020

“Without a clear, cohesive and transparent communication campaign from DOH, the noise from an overly stressed-out and highly emotional general public, interposed with a varied mixture of political opinions and even potentially misleading facts, will sadly just drown out the truth,” he said last week.—AOL, GMA News