MANILA, Philippines — After Health Secretary Francisco Duque III claimed that the Philippines has “successfully flattened” its COVID-19 curve, Senate President Vicente Sotto III jested that the former might have been referring to another type of “curve.”
“Baka fatten the curve ang ibig nyang sabihin. Daming tumaba,” Sotto said in a message when sought to comment on Duque’s remark.
(Maybe fatten the curve is what he means. Many have gained weight.)
Sotto’s colleagues in the Senate have, meanwhile, chided the health chief over his claim.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the “only thing that is flat are the backs of all the poor patients in fully occupied [COVID-19] wards all around Metro Manila fighting for their lives!”
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros advised Duque to “look at the DOH (Department of Health) data with brutal honesty.”
Secretary Duque should look at the DOH data with brutal honesty. We will not be able to formulate and implement sound policies if we are not honest.
— risa hontiveros (@risahontiveros) July 15, 2020
“We will not be able to formulate and implement sound policies if we are not honest,” she wrote on Twitter.
“Itigil muna nila ang pag-spin sa mga numero. Walang duda: tumataas ang COVID-19 cases sa bansa. Prayoridad dapat natin ngayon ang kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalakas ng ating mga health programs hanggang sa barangay,” she added.
(Let’s stop spinning the numbers. There’s no doubt: the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase. Our priority should be to ensure the safety of the Filipino people with health programs that reach the barangay level.)
Duque has since clarified his statement, saying that The health chief, later on, clarified his statement saying that the country’s COVID-19 curve was “bent,” not “flattened.”
The health secretary has also apologized for the “mix-up” caused by his earlier remark, according to Zubiri. [ac]