MANILA, Philippines — After Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the Philippines has flattened the COVID-19 curve since April, Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday advised him to “just do your job as best as you can without fooling yourself or us.”
In a tweet, the former Senator primarily recommended to the DOH chief that, “The first step po in solving a problem is admitting that we have a problem.”
He also reminded Duque that: “Addressing a pandemic is never a propaganda war.”
So, Escudero advised Duque, “Please just do your job as best you can without fooling yourself or us and pray really hard that all our efforts will bear fruit.”
Dear Sec. Duque: The first step po in solving a problem is admitting that we have a problem. Addressing a pendemic is never a propaganda war. Please just do your job as best you can without fooling yourself or us and pray really hard that all our efforts will bear fruit.
— Chiz Escudero (@SayChiz) July 15, 2020
In a pre-State of the Nation Address forum earlier Wednesday, Duque said there was a slowdown in the doubling time of COVID-19 infections and a decreasing mortality rate caused by the disease.
“First of all, we have successfully flattened the curve since April,” Duque declared during the forum.
In May, however, Duque said the Philippines was in the second wave of COVID-19 infections although after the Palace refuted his announcement, he apologized and said that the country was still in its first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak.
READ: Palace regrets confusion, alarm caused by Duque’s COVID-19 2nd wave claim
READ: No second wave yet, Palace, DOH clarify
READ: ‘Second wave’ snafu and all, Palace says gov’t COVID-19 messaging remains effective
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which causes the respiratory ailment COVID-19, is nevertheless increasing in the country since its first reported case in January.
Based on DOH’s report on July 14, the Philippines already has 57,545 COVID-19 cases inclusive of 1,603 fatalities and 20,459 recoveries.