Hindi maitatago na matapat pa rin si Health Secretary Francisco Duque III kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at hindi sa publiko dahil na rin sa patuloy na pagtanggi na bumaba sa puwesto, ayon kay Senador Leila de Lima.
“Secretary 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,” ani De Lima.
“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,” dagdag pa niya.
“Duterte is not his king; it is to the Filipino people that he owes first and foremost loyalty and accountability,” paliwanag ng senador.
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Sinabi rin ni De Lima na nagpapakita si Duque ng “mentality of patronage politics” sa pagpapanatili ng kanyang kapalaran kay Duterte.
“Filipinos want action, not curses, jokes and lame excuses. They want to live and for their loved ones to remain safe,” dagdag pa niya.
Nanagawan muli ang mga mambabatas at iba pang sektor na magbitiw si Duque matapos mabisto ng Commission on Audit (COA) ang kuwestiyunablengpaggamit ng DOH ng P67.32 bilyong pondo para sa pagtugon ng pandemya ng COVID-19.
Matatandaan na sinabi ni Duque sa isang panayam ang Pangulo na ang bahalang magpasya kung dapat siyang magbitiw sa tungkulin.
“Siya naman ang may ayaw na mag-resign ako ever since,” paglilinaw pa ng opisyal.
Vanne Elaine Terrazola
