Six former secretaries of the Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday, March 20, vouched for Vice President Leni Robredo’s capability and good health agenda to lead the country through the Covid-19 pandemic should she win the presidency.
Robredo, the lone female president in this year’s elections, got the seal of approval of some ex-DOH chiefs who served in the current and previous administrations.
They released a statement expressing their support for the presidential bid of Robredo, who they said can address the “people’s primary health care concerns” in this time of pandemic.
“As our country struggles to recover from the wide-ranging effects of the pandemic, we need a leader who has demonstrated the values of integrity and caring, has governed wisely and fairly, prioritizes programs for the greater good, understands the processes of government, puts the interests of the country first and executes effectively amidst the complexities of day-to-day governance,” said the statement signed by six former Health secretaries.
The signatories were Doctors Alfredo Bengzon, Carmencita Reodica, Jaime Galvez Tan, Manuel Dayrit, Esperanza Cabral, and Paulyn Ubial. Their endorsement is the latest addition to the snowballing support for Robredo’s candidacy.
Dayrit and Cabral, who served under the Cabinet of former Presidents Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo, came aboard first in Robredo’s team to help the presidential candidate craft her Covid-19 pandemic response platform.
In the statement, the former Health secretaries said they support Robredo as she was the “foremost candidate to provide a comprehensive pandemic response platform.”
They also encouraged the health sector as well as the public to support Robredo’s presidential bid, “so that our right to health is upheld and the recovery from the pandemic is assured.”
At the onset of the pandemic, Robredo, through partnerships of her office and the private sector, came up with various Covid-19 programs that addressed the health needs of Filipinos, including the frontliners.
She initiated the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPEs), shuttle buses, and dormitories for frontline workers, as well as COVID-19 antigen test kits and teleconsultation services – all for free – with the goal of infection prevention.
The Vice President also spearheaded the Swab Cab, Vaccine Express, Bayanihan E-Konsulta, Community Marts, and Community Learning Hubs during the pandemic.
If she wins in May 2022, Robredo said she will focus on vaccinating more Filipinos and ramping up the country’s capacity to test, trace, and treat.