Senate to discuss Duque’s fate amid resignation calls

MANILA, Philippines — A committee of the whole in the Senate may be convened to look into the senators’ call for the immediate resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III over his “failure” in addressing the COVID-19 crisis, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said the Senate resolution calling on Duque to quit would be referred to the appropriate committee once session resumes on May 4.

“Ang kino-consider namin i-refer sa Committee of the Whole. Pero paguusapan namin yan, ica-caucus namin yan. Para organized. Pag Committee of the Whole, Senate President (Vicente Sotto III) ang magpe-preside,” Lacson said in an interview on dzBB.

He said Duque would be given the chance to air his side during the hearing.

Lacson was among the 14 senators who signed the resolution seeking the “immediate resignation” of the health chief.

“As a matter of course, a public hearing will be conducted after first reading and referral (of the resolution),” the senator said in a separate message to reporters.

“Not only will it (hearing) give Sec. Duque the opportunity to explain his side, it will also give all other resource persons in the medical community and whoever may be invited to shed light to further articulate their views with the end in view of passing relevant legislation on our part,” Lacson added.

“At the end of the day, the public will be enlightened after witnessing for themselves the open discussion of issues at hand,” he further said.

Despite the appeal from the senators, President Rodrigo Duterte said Duque would “stay put.”

“The President has made a decision for Health Secretary Duque to stay put,” Executive Secretary Medialdea told reporters in a message on Thursday.

“He also expressed his appreciation for the Senators’ gesture in giving him the opportunity to weigh his options on the performance (of) his (Secretary of Health),” Medialdea added.

Duque, meanwhile, apologized for his shortcomings in handling the outbreak but reasoned that the crisis is fairly new not only to the Philippines but to the whole world and that he has no previous experience in handling such a pandemic.

EDV