Duque not the ‘right guy’ to solve COVID-19 pandemic, Binay insists

MANILA, Philippines— Senator  Nancy Binay insisted on Wednesday that  Health Secretary Francisco Duque III  may not be “the right guy” to solve the country’s problem on the coronavirus disease  2019 (COVID -19).

This as President  Rodrigo Duterte defended Duque anew from criticisms and resignation calls over his alleged mishandling of the health crisis.

“I think my position is clear already, the mere fact that I  signed the resolution calling for his resignation and  I  still stand by that decision,” Binay said over ABS-CBN News Channel’s morning show, Headstart.

In a Senate resolution filed last April, 14 senators, including Binay,  called for Duque’s immediate resignation, citing his alleged  “failure of leadership, negligence, (and) lack of foresight” in addressing the COVID-19  pandemic.

But  Duterte stood by  Duque even as the  Office of the Ombudsman moved to have him and other  Department of health officials investigated in connection with alleged irregularities of the agency’s response to the pandemic.

Binay recognized the President’s decision to  keep Duque despite the probe and resignation calls.

“It’s his decision if he wants to (retain Duque) but kami sa Senado, well,  majority of us already expressed our sentiments that you know baka he’s not the right guy at the moment for us to solve this problem,”  she stressed.

/MUF