President Duterte defended Health Secretary Francisco Duque III anew amid criticisms on how the Department of Health is handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his late-night public address, Duterte said he has known Duque since the time of former and House Speaker President Gloria Arroyo and he would not have appointed him if he was incompetent.
“Alam mo (You know), trust is not – you know – is not press release,” he said.
“Nakita ko to si Secretary Duque in the many meetings we had. Nakita ko siyang nagtatrabaho. Nagtatrabaho ‘yung tao,” he added.
According to Duterte, there was no country that could have prepared for a pandemic and that even the Philippines was only warned of it two days before COVID-19 actually became widespread.
“Nobody dito sa mundong ito was really or were prepared for it. Iyang pandemic, it comes about once in a century.
Kaya walang hospital na maggawa ka ng limang hospital in anticipation of the next. Hindi ganoon ‘yan eh,” the President said.
“Hindi natin akalain na in two days’ time after the warning was given by the WHO that it is a virulent fast-moving microbe and we were – we were all advised to take precautions,” he added. (Argyll Geducos)