Palace confident Magalong will stay as tracing czar

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday expressed confidence that Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong would stay as contact tracing czar as it maintained that nobody could take his place.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the resignation of Magalong, who quit after attending a party that supposedly disregarded health protocols, must first be accepted by the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF).

“When Mayor Magalong submitted a (resignation) letter, it was not stated that it is irrevocable. We said it is subject to acceptance and it was not accepted by the NTF and we stopped there,” Roque told radio station dzBB.

“I think Mayor Magalong will realize this and he will continue because we cannot find someone who will take (his) place because he is really the author of the contact tracing formula here (in the Philippines),” he added.

Asked whether the NTF has received an official response from Magalong, Roque said the mayor is expected to attend some activities but did not provide specifics.

“Let us see what will happen in the succeeding days,” he said.

Magalong was heavily criticized for allegedly allowing health protocol breaches during a birthday party he had attended last month. He submitted what he described as an “irrevocable resignation” as contact tracing czar but expressed readiness to continue performing the role if asked to do so by President Duterte.

Roque previously said he was “200 percent sure” that Duterte wants Magalong to remain in his post.

At the same interview, he defended the government’s decision to grant the request of Baguio City to allow its hotels and other establishments to accommodate leisure travelers while under general community quarantine or GCQ.

He said the government has to provide livelihood to Filipinos while containing the pandemic.

“As long they take care of themselves, the livelihood of those who are working in the tourism sector can continue. That’s the rationale for the decision in Baguio, which has shown its capability in terms of contract tracing,” Roque said.

Baguio City will remain under GCQ for the entire month of February.