Dr. Tony Leachon, former adviser to the national task force fighting COVID-19, said yesterday that is vindicated by the investigation being conducted by the Ombudsman over the Department of Health for alleged irregularities in its response to the pandemic.
“Na-vindicate ako doon because the questions raised by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, basically ‘yun ang complaint ko na ‘yung real time data, fresh and late, cost many lives,” Leachon said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
“Dahil kung hindi tama ‘yung data mo marami ka talagang mapapatay dito,” he stressed.
Leachon admitted that was hurt and cried afterwards when he was asked by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the government’s COVID-19 response, to resign as adviser due to public criticisms of the DoH, including those posted on social media.
“Ang sinabi niya sa akin Secretary Roque and Secretary Duque pressured him na pagresignin ako,” Leachon said.
Martires said among the issues that they will investigate is the “confusing and delayed” reporting of COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases.
“The real and granularity of the data would be important in the decision making of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases,” stressed Leachon.
“We are still struggling with the data,” he lamented.
The doctor pointed out the Philippines is the only country which reports both fresh and late data.
“And that is something I would say is a mediocre performance and at crisis sometimes we should not tolerate mediocrity. We should demand accountability even in a collegial body,” Leachon said.
With the world is facing its “worst health crisis in history,” he said the DoH, being the lead agency, is “not responding with a sense of urgency.”
“What are you going to do? Then you have to stretch them and pressure them to work,” Leachon stressed. (Jeff Damicog)