Sen. Lacson Blasts Sec. Duque "Galit Ba Sa Pilipino Ang Taong Ito"

Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson blasts Health Secretary Francisco Duque for his latest remark regarding the possible travel ban for people coming from the United Kingdom. 

Sen. Ping Lacson asked his followers "Galit ba sa Pilipino ang taong ito?" This was the question posed by Sen. Lacson on Saturday night after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that a travel ban on the United Kingdom should only be considered once there is already a community transmission of the new coronavirus variant in the European country. 

The lawmaker took to Twitter as he posted "Hayaan daw munang kumalat sa Pilipinas ang Covid19 variant mula sa UK bago mag travel ban. Galit ba sa Pilipino ang taong ito?" Lacson said in a tweet. 

Health Secretary Duque's office has clarified that the Health Chief was referring to countries with the reported cases of the new variant, not just in the UK. 

Aside from Sen. Ping Lacson slamming Secretary Duque, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, likewise thumbed down Sec. Duque's remark. 

The statement of Secretary Duque was made during a meeting with Pres. Rody Duterte and other members of the Cabinet when Duque made the remark which has also drawn the ire of some netizens. 

Despite the statement released by the Health Secretary, Pres. Duterte has suspended flights from the United Kingdom starting December 24 until December 31, 2020. 

During the past few days several countries nationwide have already imposed a travel ban on the UK, including Canada, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland, and Germany, to prevent the new strain's entry. 

Netizens also took to social media as they slammed Sec. Duque's Plans not to impose travel ban to UK Residents.

Read Some of the Comments from Netizens:

Rogel Lopez: kaloka! in a country where there is no strong health care system and a government with less capacity to handle well the pandemic, prevention is better than cure.

Ace Gueco: Worst head of the DOH. D does not stand DEPARTMENT, but instead DISASTER. You are the worst person seated there MR. DUQUE.

Mark Tabigue: Again the stupidity of this Health Shitary is palpable!! Why wait for a transmission. Isn't prevention better than cure?

Rhandell Guirre: haven't you learned your lesson?act with urgency!be competent enough as health dept.chief!

John Velez: Close our borders now, not tomorrow. We have our lessons already last January and a repeat of that is unforgivable.

Source: Facebook / Inquirer