Grilled over antidengue program, Duque fails to get CA nod

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net

Even if he had been Health secretary in the Arroyo administration, Francisco Duque III failed to get the nod of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on his first appearance there on Wednesday.

Duque was grilled for two hours mostly on the controversial dengue immunization program that two of his predecessors had implemented but which he stopped last December.

“Whatever it is that they have picked up from my answers to the manifold questions, let’s respect the time that they need to make the proper decisions,” Duque told reporters.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, CA health committee chair, told reporters that the deferment of Duque’s confirmation had nothing to do with the dengue immunization program. —Christine O. Avendaño