MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday vouched for Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, saying that he is “still the best man for the job.”
Locsin expressed support for his fellow Cabinet member after senators on Thursday called for his “immediate resignation” over his handling of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.
“Public health experts in the bureaucracy are the ones stalling rapid responses. Put one of them on top and we all die,” the foreign affairs chief said over Twitter.
Public health experts in the bureaucracy are the ones stalling rapid responses. Put one of them on top and we all die. Duque is still the best man for the job; he has integrity to his marrow; I trust him; he is not hungry for anything but public service. https://t.co/lqT4zsezae
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 16, 2020
“Duque is still the best man for the job; he has the integrity to his marrow; I trust him; he is not hungry for anything but public service,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte already said Duque would stay as health secretary.
“The President has made a decision for Health Secretary Duque to stay put,” Executive Secretary Medialdea told reporters in a message.
“He also expressed his appreciation for the Senators’ gesture in giving him the opportunity to weigh his options on the performance [of] his SOH,” he added.