MANILA – Public health advocate Dr. Tony Leachon also earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte with his criticisms against the Department of Health, leading to his removal from the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) National Task Force (NTF).
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque bared this yesterday, denying he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III pressured National Task Force COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez to tell Leachon, his special adviser, to resign.
“Noong huling pagpupulong kay Presidente, nanggaling kay Presidente na bakit nagsasalita ng ganito itong si Leachon? So let me correct you, Dr. Leachon, hindi ako, hindi si Secretary Duque. Mismong Presidente po noted that you should not be doing what you’re doing,” Roque said in his regular media briefing.
He said Leachon was not fired by Duterte because his official designation was unclear to the Cabinet members, but the President talked to Galvez.
National Task Force for COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said Leachon’s action jeopardized the communication efforts of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID).
“Dr. Leachon’s preemptive releases of some information prior to official announcement and adoption jeopardized the communication efforts of the IATF and NTF and caused unwarranted misunderstanding between two entities that should be working together,” he said.
On Wednesday, Leachon announced he was no longer adviser to the task force and has tagged Roque and Duque as behind his ouster.
“Ipinakiusap ni Secretary Roque at saka Secretary Duque iyon, na ako’y tanggalin. Eh ano naman ang kasalanan ko for telling the truth? Transparent naman ‘yun,” Leachon said in an interview with DZBB.
Just two days before his departure as IATF adviser, Leachon said that Duque should invite more health experts from the private sector as the Philippines faces another COVID-19 epicenter. (With CNN PH/PN)
