President Duterte is standing firmly behind Health Secretary Francisco Duque III despite calls for his removal from his post.

The President asserted that he found no reason to dismiss Duque, insisting that the country's health chief continued to perform his job. He admitted that he was keeping Duque despite the advice of "many" people, including members of the Cabinet.

"I do not see any problem kay Health Secretary. Gusto nga nila paalisin. Ang sabi ko bigyan mo ako ng rason na paalisin ko itong si DOH (Department of Health) (They want his dismissal. I said give me a reason why I should dismiss the DOH (Secretary)," Duterte said during the inauguration of the new Light Rail Transit-2 East Extension project in Antipolo City Thursday, July 1.

"Wala akong nakitang kasalanan. Bakit ko tanggalin? Against the advice of the many, even Cabinet members, sabi ko, I will stick with the man na walang kasalanan and working only doing his job (I don't see any mistake. Why should I fire him? Against the advice of the many, even Cabinet members, I said I will stick with the man who has done nothing wrong and working only, doing his job)," he said.

Duterte further said: "There is no coherent reason why Duque should be out."

But if Duque wanted to leave government, Duterte said this would would be a different story. "Pero really, nahihiya ako. Mahiya akong mag-ano ng tao na walang kasalanan (But I am really embarrassed to someone who has done nothing wrong)," he said. "After all, ako 'yong nagsabi sa kanya na (I told me to) join me here," he added.

Some groups, including lawmakers, previously called for Duque's removal from the DOH over alleged mishandling of the government's pandemic response as the country's cases of coronavirus continued to rise. The country's total cases of infections have soared to more than 1.4 million with over 24,000 deaths as of July 1.

Recently, Senator Manny Pacquiao alleged that Department of Health was included in the list of alleged corrupt government agencies. The senator made the comment in response to the President's challenge to prove his corruption claims to show he was not just politicking ahead of the 2022 elections.

On allegations of slow coronavirus vaccine rollout, the President explained that the "real problem" was the supply. Duterte previously blamed the rich countries for allegedly cornering the bulk of the world's supply of vaccines, leaving developing nations like the Philippines to scramble for the remaining stocks.

Duterte assured the public that more vaccines are expected to arrive in the country. These forthcoming vaccines would be intended for people who are waiting for their second dose, he said.

"So when you say that there is 1 million and if there is already 1 million vaccinated for the first time, that 1 million will go to them for the second shot," he said.

The country has so far received more than 17 million doses of coronavirus vaccines. Of the 10 million jabs administered, around 2.5 million people have been fully vaccinated.