Nagbitiw na si health reform advocate Dr. Anthony "Tony" Leachon bilang Department of Health (DOH) special adviser for non-communicable diseases, isang buwan lamang matapos siyang italaga sa naturang posisyon.
Sa kaniyang resignation letter na ipinadala kay Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, binanggit ni Leachon na personal ang kaniyang dahilan ng pagbibitiw.
“I just woke up after a long night of thinking and reflections. I want to help the country. This has been a lifelong commitment. But it’s tough working with a system when your ideas are not welcome and when powerful people attack you unprovoked,” saad naman ni Leachon sa kaniyang Facebook post nitong Martes, Setyembre 12.
“And you’re alone defending yourself when there’s nothing to explain. They call it power play or politics.”
Mga nagpakalat ng fake news tungkol sa 'petisyon,' lagot sa Korte Suprema!
Binanggit din ni Leachon na nagsilbing “eye-opener” para sa kaniya ang budget deliberations ng DOH sa House of Representatives noong nakaraang linggo, kung saan kinuwestiyon umano siya ni Representative Janette Garin, dating DOH secretary, hinggil sa kaniyang “expertise” sa public health.
“I was branded not as a public health expert by a lawmaker. It’s not good to be defending one’s qualifications in the public eye. At this stage, I do not have to prove anything anymore,” saad ni Leachon.
“Well, you may find it difficult to cope with the situation, but eventually you will learn to value yourself and not run after people, positions, and relationships that are not meant for you. Even my noble aspirations and all of my actions to serve the country will be placed under the microscope, and the vicious attacks against me will never stop,” dagdag niya.
Binanggit din ni Leachon ang isyu ng Dengvaxia noong 2016, kung saan kinuwestiyon niya at ng iba pang physicians ang pagiging epektibo nito matapos umanong lumabas sa isang pag-aaral na maaari itong maghatid ng mas malaking panganib.
“Enough. The Dengvaxia case will drag on for years. And they will be trying relentlessly to discredit me all throughout its pendency. People don’t care anymore,” saad niya.
Ayon pa kay Leachon, nais niyang ituon ang kaniyang oras sa kaniyang pamilya, sa “clinical practice, small health advocacy programs, and self care measures too.”
“I can only tell you I was motivated by my desire to help the Filipino people. Honor. Integrity. Courage. These are core values I keep close in my heart through the years. These are my only possessions,” ani Leachon.
“These values are very important to me. And so is self respect. I don’t deserve to be maligned in public and not given the authority or chance to defend myself.
“Respect is not about a title too. How leaders act, particularly in turbulent times, reassures those around them. Consistency in behaviors is critical to trust, and being an ethical, authentic leader engenders respect,” saad pa niya.
Nagsilbi si Leachon noong 2020 bilang special consultant ng National Task Force Against Covid-19 (NTF) sa panahon ng administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Naging direktor din siya ng Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) noong 2016.
Nagtatrabaho siya sa Manila Doctors' Hospital bilang isang internist at cardiologist.
