MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is “fortunate” that President Rodrigo Duterte continues to trust him, one of the senators who called for his resignation has said.

“Secretary Duque is fortunate to continue to enjoy the trust of the President,” Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said in a statement on Thursday.

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The senator also expressed hope that the health chief would prove that he is worthy of the President’s confidence.

Revilla, alongside 13 other senators, signed Senate Resolution No. 362, seeking for Duque’s “immediate resignation” for his “failure in leader ‘failure of leadership, negligence, (and) lack of foresight’ in addressing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.”

“Knowing fully well the danger posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the beginning of the year, Secretary Duque failed to put in place the necessary precautionary measures to lessen, if not at all prevent, the impact of this health crisis,” the resolution read.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already addressed the matter and said his appointed health secretary would “stay put.”

Duque, meanwhile, admitted being “really hurt” by calls of the senators for him to step down.

“We need to unite. We have such a formidable enemy. This is a war. This is against an invisible enemy,” he said during the technical working group (TWG) meeting of the health subcommittee of House’s Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC).

Duque said he wish the senators would have been had been “more magnanimous” and “more appreciative” of the efforts of the Department of Health have from the time the threat of COVID-19 began in the country.

“Despite my being an author of the resolution calling for his resignation, I will continue to keep Sec. Duque in my prayers,” Revilla went on.

“Now more than ever, the campaign against COVID-19 needs everyone’s support and I pray that Sec. Duque will prove worthy of the President’s confidence in his leadership and capabilities,” he added.

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For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

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