The government cannot claim success in its efforts to address the threat until the number of COVID-19 cases drops to zero, Senator Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Saturday October 30 said.

Lacson, a presidential aspirant under the Partido Reforma banner, said the drop in COVID-19 cases in past weeks should not lull authorities into a false sense of security.

"Masasabi nating tagumpay na tayo kung zero tayo sa cases. As long as may isa o dalawa, e libo pa tayo, di pwede sabihin (We can claim success only if we have zero cases. As long as there are new cases, even one or two, we cannot do so. And we are still having new cases by the thousands)," he said in an interview on DWIZ radio.

He noted that in other countries and territories, authorities call for meetings among government officials if there is even one new case.

In the Philippines, Lacson lamented there are still lapses being committed by the government and issues that have to be addressed - including lack of trust by the public for some vaccine brands.

Also, he stressed the need to curb corruption especially in the Department of Health (DOH) so it could maximize limited resources to procure and administer the needed vaccines.

He noted that the DOH has yet to crush the syndicates behind the overpricing of medical supplies including ambulances procured using Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) funds.

Lacson also pointed out the need to devolve the DOH's funds to local health units instead of devolving only the functions and keeping the funds in the central office.

"Devolution tayo devolve lang function pero naiwan ang pera sa taas (We talk of devolution but only the functions are devolved; the funds are still in the central office)," he said.