Villanueva after 3 months of lockdown: I’m glad I signed reso asking for Duque resignation

Senator Joel Villanueva does not regret having sought Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's resignation in April, saying that the current situation after several weeks of strict lockdown proves that he made the right decision.

"I am glad that I signed the resolution asking for Secretary Duque to give way and have someone na kaya solusyunan itong problema natin," Villanueva told reporters in a virtual interview on Tuesday.

"I have nothing against him personally, he's very nice to me. It's just that confidence-wise, at nung mga nakaraan, it's just unacceptable. And unfortunately, as we continue to move forward, we hear all these lousy excuses. Wala eh," he added.

In April, several senators filed a resolution asking Duque to step down for alleged "failure of leadership" amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

The call, however, was not heeded by the Cabinet official. Duque maintained that he serves at the pleasure of the President.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte and chief implementer of the government’s coronavirus response Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. vouched for Duque's integrity as DOH chief.

As chairman of the Senate committee on labor, Villanueva said the two stumbling blocks on the path to recovery were the continuing increase in COVID-19 infections in the country and the lack of a clear set of policies for the new normal.

"Klaro na effective na nagkaroon tayo ng GCQ,  pero whether or not effective 'yung ginagawa ng gobyerno other than GCQ, parang hindi... Pataas pa rin ng pataas ang trend ng infection, there must be something wrong," Villanueva said.

"Until we see a stop or downward trend of the infection dito sa ating bansa, hindi talaga, everything will all fail," he added.

Duque, along with other DOH officials, are facing an Ombudsman probe over alleged irregularities in the COVID-19 response.

Among the matters being looked into are the DOH's purchase of test kits; the alleged delayed procurement of personal protective equipment for health workers; the inaction in the release processing of benefits and financial assistance of "fallen" and infected medical frontliners; and the confusing and delayed reporting of COVID-19 related deaths and confirmed cases.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Duque should at least take a leave of absence to give way to an impartial investigation.

The DOH, however, said it cannot afford to lose a leader amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of June 22, the Philippines recorded 630 fresh and late COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 30,682 with 8,143 recoveries and 1,177 deaths.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire acknowledged that there is a lot about DOH's COVID-19 response that needs to improve. — BM, GMA News