By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's flip-flopping statements could cast doubts on the government's efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, senators said on Thursday. Sen. Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri told Duque to "get his facts right" to avoid affecting the integrity of the administration in responding to the global health emergency. "The Secretary should get his facts right and his messaging straight as wrong information can put to a bad light all the efforts being done by the IATF (Interagency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease) and possibly sow confusion with the public," Zubiri told reporters in a Viber message. Duque, during a hearing in the House of Representatives, clarified that the Philippines is currently in the "first major wave of sustained transmission" of COVID-19. This was in contrast to his declaration before the Senate on Wednesday, May 20, that the country is now riding out the second wave of the pandemic. Duque told congressmen that his earlier statement was a "casual expression of an epidemiologic fact", maintaining that there has been a "small first wave" of the novel coronavirus transmission during the first three cases reported in January. "Sec. Duque’s statement on the COVID 19 pandemic in the country changes like the weather. His statements have become unreliable and incredible," Sen. Joel Villanueva said in a separate text message. "I am worried about our handling of the pandemic if the person in charge is more confused than the rest of the country," he added. Senator Panfilo Lacson, for his part, said: "More than his flip flopping, the more important issue is the competence and integrity of Sec. Duque." Duque's clarification came after Palace officials negated his claim and insisted that country is still under the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. The "second wave" pronouncement was also not communicated with President Duterte. Lawmakers earlier found that Duque's declaration was "premature", noting the lack in the country's testing capacity.