The lack of a system in the COVID-19 response is a bigger problem than Duque – Robredo

MANILA, Philippines – With most members of the opposition and even some of the administration’s allies calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, some have been curious why Vice President Leni Robredo has not intervened.

Robredo revealed his reason on Tuesday during the GMA News show “Quarantined with Howie Severino.”

“Our problem is much greater than that of Secretary Duque. For me, the problem really is that the national government doesn’t seem to have an established system, ”said Robredo, speaking in part in Filipino.

“In fairness to the agencies, the agencies are doing a lot. Local governments have been working for more than six months, too. But it appears that no coherent plan was developed. It seems we have no one to guide us. If you look at the body of work of the agencies, so far they are like working in silos, “he added.

Getting Duque out, he said, wouldn’t change much.

“For me, the system is what fails, not just Secretary Duque. I think that even if Secretary Duque is removed, if the system remains the same, the problems will persist, “he said.

“It would be good if in the middle of the pandemic there was a voice that said that all the actions of the agencies, whether as a team or what: ‘I command it. All hands in the deck. What we would focus on are the programs related to COVID-19, “he added.

His statement sounds familiar because he made the same observation in his August 24 speech: that the government appeared to have no leader because some of the actions seemed to contradict each other.

Many observers believed that it was a criticism aimed at President Rodrigo Duterte, who responded by admonishing Robredo, asking him not to add fuel to the fire because it would lead to the destruction of the government.

“Ideally, it should be President Duterte who leads,” Robredo said. “But if you don’t want that role or are busy with other things, you should have at least designated one. If it’s not him, he should at least appoint someone in his place, perhaps one of the cabinet secretaries, but with the same authority. “

“You know, someone the departments would obey and say, ‘Let’s work together,’” he continued. “It’s like a whole-of-government approach, not like we’re doing things on our own because it’s frustrating to look at this system that doesn’t tell you in the right direction, where what one says would be countered by the other. “

Duque has been besieged by various criticisms of his leadership amid the pandemic, with even Duterte’s supporters in the Senate calling for his resignation.

Calls for impeachment increased after Duque, who is ex-officio president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in his capacity as secretary of the Department of Health, was plagued with accusations of corruption.

Several officials have expressed disbelief that Duque is not included among PhilHealth officials who will be indicted for alleged corrupt practices within the agency, including overpriced tech articles, the release of COVID-19 funds to health institutions that do not cover cases of coronavirus and an alleged mafia. pocketing billions of funds.

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