Palace: Duterte confident Duque can answer Ombudsman probe

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is confident that his embattled health chief, Secretary Francisco Duque III, will be able to answer all the allegations being hurled against him over the supposed “irregularities and anomalies” in the Department of Health’s (DOH) handling of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

In a televised Palace press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duque continues to enjoy the faith and confidence of the President despite the Office of the Ombudsman’s initiative to investigate him and the DOH.

“The President has time and again expressed his continuing trust and confidence po kay Sec. Duque and kampante naman po ang Presidente na masasagot po ni Sec. Duque lahat ng alegasyon sa Ombudsman,” Roque said.

(The President is confident that Sec. Duque can answer all the allegations of the Ombudsman.)

On Wednesday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires announced that his office has launched an investigation on the DOH involving the purchase of 100,000 test kits, the use of test kits invented by the University of the Philippines, and other irregularities allegedly committed amid the pandemic by DOH officials including Duque.

This was not the first time Duque and his department came under fire due to the health crisis.

Last April, 14 senators filed a resolution asking Duque to resign immediately for his “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight and inefficiency” in handling the COVID-19 crisis in the country.

More recently, he drew flak after he claimed that the Philippines was already in the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

But Duterte appeared to have rejected the calls for Duque’s ouster and even consoled his health chief by asking him not to be too sensitive to the criticisms.

“Alam mo huwag kang masyadong touchy sa mga (Don’t be so touchy on) issues because always there will be pros and cons. Pakinggan lang natin (Just take note of these) because this is a democracy,” Duterte said.

The President had also defended the Department of Health’s purchase of the allegedly overpriced personal protective equipment.

/MUF