Chiz Escudero Asks Pres. Duterte to Fire DOH Chief Francisco Duque

Chiz Escudero wants Francisco Duque out of DOH

Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero asked President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

This request of the former Senator came after the memorandum from the health department stating that COVID-19 patients who have mild symptoms or asymptomatic are now being tagged “recovered”.

Based on the report from PTV News, the data team of DOH implemented this “mass recovery” adjustment. Under the Department Memorandum No. 2020-0258, “patients with mild or no symptoms are tagged as recovered 14 days from the date of onset of symptoms or by date specimen collection.”

Reportedly, the US CDC, European CDC, and India followed this clinical recovery protocol. This matter received various reactions from the online community. Apparently, the trending hashtag “Duque Resign” has a connection to this issue.

Among the people online who called for the resignation of the health department or rather the “firing” is Chiz Escudero. The Governor of Sorsogon has this post calling out to President Duterte.

“After recording the highest one-day covid+ new cases of 3,954, DOH reports a 38,075 “mass recovery adjustment” to include mild/asymptomatic cases… This is “only in the Philippines” & is intolerable & insulting! PRRD: Sir, please fire Sec. Duque!!! You/we/I deserve better po!!!”

Netizens who commented on this post of the former Senator also agreed with what he said.

Hours after that tweet asking the Chief Executive to fire the DOH chief, Escudero stressed that it is unbelievable that the health department would claim that a patient has recovered when there was “NO INTERVENTION ON THE PART OF DOH OR DOCTOR OTHER THAN THEIR OWN IMMUNE SYSTEM that was responsible for their supposed recovery?“