Ex-health chief OK with Cascolan appointment: DOH needs non-medical managers

Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Former Health secretary and now Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin sees nothing wrong with the appointment of retired police general Camilo Cascolan to the Department of Health (DOH), saying the agency also needs non-medical managers.

In a statement on Monday, Garin said she respects the executive branch’s decision to appoint Cascolan as an undersecretary of the DOH.

According to her, delivering essential health services to people does not involve only those in the medical and sciences field.

“We respect the Executive’s decision to appoint a non-doctor in the [DOH]. However, delivery of health services is not just about doctors and scientists working together,” Garin said.

“While scientists and doctors play very important roles, non-medical managers are likewise needed to put order and implement programs,” she added.

What is important, Garin said, is that Cascolan’s skills in managing manpower and other resources have been proven during his stint with the Philippine National Police (PNP)

“What is equally important is reaching the grassroots and feeling their pulse. The management skills of General Cascolan have long been proven in his several years of untainted service. Quick and timely response during calamities as well as the coordinated implementation of programs under devolved healthcare, not to mention the gigantic task of logistics and planning, are important factors in DOH,” she said.

“Let us allow the government to proceed with its tasks. Surely, each step the Executive is undertaking is supported by a well-planned design to make the government more responsive to the needs of the people. Disciplined leadership with a heart is likewise important in making healthcare felt by every Filipino family,” she added.

Cascolan’s appointment raised eyebrows among critics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration, mainly because he doesn’t have a medical background. The former PNP chief, before getting the top post, was the regional director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and was also the PNP deputy chief for operations.

READ: DOH confirms appointment of ex-PNP chief Cascolan as undersecretary 

Criticisms of the ex-PNP official’s appointment were coupled with grievances about Marcos not yet naming a DOH secretary. As of now, Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire serves as the department’s officer-in-charge.

But Cascolan also found several allies, including his “mistah,” fellow former PNP chief and now-Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who said earlier being in the DOH does not necessarily mean being able to cure sick people.

Cascolan and dela Rosa are both classmates, both coming from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Sinagtala” Class of 1986.

READ: Ex-PNP chief joins DOH: ‘Insult to health experts’

JPV/abc