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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider De Lima: Duque only loyal to Duterte, not public interest

De Lima: Duque only loyal to Duterte, not public interest

Published Aug 14, 2021 11:37 am

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's refusal to step down from his post despite repeated calls only shows his loyalty to President Duterte, and not to the Filipinos, opposition Senator Leila de Lima said on Saturday, August 14.

President Duterte confers with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Malacañang on March 9, 2020. (PCOO)

In her latest dispatch, the detained senator lamented Duque's insistence to stay in the Department of Health (DOH) despite criticisms and issues hounding his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Sec. Duque’s refusal to resign despite calls from concerned sectors for him to do so, and in the face of the failures of the government’s COVID-19 response plans, saying that it is up to Duterte who appointed him, only highlights what the real problem is and has always been: their first loyalty is to themselves and to their cabal of patrons, cronies and minion; the public interest doesn’t even come into the equation," De Lima said.

"Of course, no one expects a public servant to resign just because some people call for him to do so. But the least that such public servant ought to do so is hold himself accountable to the public, to the people that he serves," she added.

"Duterte is not his king; it is to the Filipino people that he owes first and foremost loyalty and accountability," De Lima pointed out.

The senator said Duque also showed a "mentality of patronage politics" in maintaining that his fate lies on Duterte.

"Accomplishing goals, serving the public interest, saving and preserving people’s lives should have been his first defense; not a recourse to the blunt weapon that is Duterte’s tyranny," she said.

"Filipinos want action, not curses, jokes and lame excuses. They want to live and for their loved ones to remain safe," De Lima told Duque.

Lawmakers and other sectors have again called for Duque's resignation after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged "various deficiencies" in the DOH's utilization of some P67.32 billion of COVID-19 response funds.

Duque, in an interview with GMA News, maintained that it would be up to President Duterte to decide if he should resign.

"Siya naman ang may ayaw na mag-resign ako ever since," the DOH chief was quoted as saying on Thursday, August 12.

Related Tags

President Duterte covid-19 Leila de Lima pandemic response francisco duque iii doh RESIGN
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