Contact tracing czar Magalong 'hindi mapipigil ng Palasyo' sa resignation
MANILA, Philippines — Kahit hindi tinanggap ng Malacañang ang kanyang pagbibitiw bilang contact tracing czar laban sa coronavirus disease, buo na raw ang desisyon ni Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong iwan ang posisyong iniatang sa kanya ng Palasyo.
"[My] resignation is irrevocable," paliwanag ni Magalong sa isang panayam ng ABS-CBN News, Biyernes.
Ginawa ni Magalong ang desisyon matapos dumalo sa isang magarbong party ng isang celebrity sa Baguio city na lumabag sa quarantine protocols — bagay na kinastigo online.
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"It pains me to see my family, and my constituents, in anguish over this but I am committed [to] hold myself accountable and do what is necessary to rectify this misstep," ani Magalong sa isang liham na ipinadala kay COVID-19 response chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr.
"I should have done an immediate spot correction of the errors that I witnessed during that time."
Ang naturang party ay nangyari sa Cordillera Administrative Region, na siyang nagtala ng biglaang pagtaas sa COVID-19 infections, maliban pa sa transmission ng mas nakahahawang United Kingdom variant ng sakit.
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Palasyo: Hindi namin tanggap ang pagbibitiw
Kanina lang nang kumpirmahin ni presidential spokesperson Harry Roque ang kagustuhan magbitiw ng alkalde, ngunit sinabing ayaw itong tanggapin ng tanggapan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
"Mayor Magalong's resignation, however, has not been accepted. He continues to enjoy the trust and confidece of the leadership of the National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19," ani Roque kanina.
READ: Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque on Mayor Benjamin Magalong We confirm that Baguio...
Posted by Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines) on Thursday, January 28, 2021
Ipinagtanggol din ng Department of Health si Magalong habang idinidiin kung bakit siya dapat manatili sa posisyon.
Aniya, malaki ang nagawa ng nasabing mayor sa laban ng bansa laban sa nakamamatay na sakit.
"Kami sa Kagawaran ng Kalusugan we believe he should remain in that position. He has helped the contact tracing efforts of the country a lot," ani Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
"Sa Bontoc and buong CAR, siya [ang] nagpatakbo nitong contact tracing natin for this specific variant."
Sa huling ulat ng DOH nitong Huwebes, umabot na sa 519,575 ang tinatamaan ng COVID-19 sa buong Pilipinas. Sa bilang na 'yan, patay na ang 10,552 katao.
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