Apt of police general as health usec sparked online furor
By J.Lo
"Yes, we confirm receipt of appointment papers of Mr. Camilo Cascolan, Atty. Charade Mercado-Grande and several directors," Department of Health (DOH). said in a statement confirmed retired Police General Camilo Cascolan, who served as officer-in-charge of the PNP, was appointed to the post.
Netizens are fuming over news that retired police general and former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief has been appointed as an undersecretary to the DOH
Cascolan was appointed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte to head PNP in September 2020, but stepped down two months later in November after reaching retirement age.
Cascolan thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for his appointment.
"I'm not a doctor but one doesn't need to be a doctor to be assigned in DOH…administration and management will always be part of every department in government and I believe I will be of big help in this area…what's important is government's program is implemented with directive of the OIC Sec. DOH," he said.
Still, his message hardly quelled ire of Filipinos online, who opposed appointment of a non-health professional to top post in health department. Since President Marcos Jr took office in June this year, he has not appointed a secretary to lead DOH amid ongoing pandemic.
Medical anthropologist Gideon Lasco denounced appointment of Cascolan to the health bureau.
"Public health is literally a matter of life & death, especially amid COVID, and there are many qualified people, MDs & non-MDs alike, who can take leadership roles in DOH… I denounce appointment of a police general with zero public health experience as health undersecretary," he wrote, adding that his appointment was an insult to the "good people in DOH who deserve qualified leadership, looking at his Educational Background he has not taken any Medical course…can please someone explain this to us…our health system will be pitiful if police officer will become USec," Lasco lamented.
Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, meanwhile, re-shared a comic strip by Tarantadong Kalbo that illustrated military officers' inability to combat virus amid height of pandemic in 2020, who were tasked to lead country's COVID-19 response then.
Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vegeire continues to lead DOH as officer-in-charge
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