Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Thursday called out Health Secretary Francisco Duque III for his contradictory statements on the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and expressed hope that President Rodrigo Duterte would find a “competent” replacement for the official to “bring the country back on track and restore the credibility of our health department.”
Duque earlier announced that the Philippines had managed to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 cases since April. Some three hours later, he clarified that the country had “bent the curve.”
Barbers also cited a resolution by at least 14 senators in April that sought Duque’s resignation for his “failure of leadership, negligence, lack of foresight and inefficiency.”
He mentioned as well a probe launched by the Ombudsman on the alleged overprice on the health department’s purchase of test kits, among other issues. —Melvin Gascon