President Marcos Jr. assigned a former police officer as DOH Undersecretary, while the DOH secretary has yet to be announced. Also, some groups criticized the president for appointing the Ex-PNP calling it an insult to health professionals.
What can an unexperienced non-health personnel do for the the Department of Health (DOH). This question arose on social media on Sunday when President Marcos Jr. named the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Camilo Pancratius “Pikoy” Cascolan as the DOH undersecretary.
"Yes, we confirm the receipt of the appointment papers of Camilo Cascolan, Atty. Charade Mercado-Grande and several directors," Manila times quoted DOH.
The several new Health officers include:
· Charade Mercado-Grande -- Assistant Secretary
· Maria Lourdes Caballero Santiago -- Director IV
· Girlie Enriquez Veloso -- Director IV
· Maria Joyce Udtuhan Ducusin -- Director III
· Sophia Macaranas Mancao -- Director III
Full details of their assignments as well as their duties and responsibilities will be made available "as soon as available," it added
In line with this, Cascolan thanked the President for his new post.
In thanking the president for his new post, Cascolan admitted that "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 a part of every department in government and I believe I will be of big help in this area. What's important is the government's program is implemented with the directive of the OIC Sec. DOH," CNN quoted Cascolan.
He was named PNP chief by former president Rodrigo Duterte in September 2020, but he left after two months because of the mandatory retirement age. (Is this part of the concession being given to the former president, to avoid a looming rift?)
Cascolan is a co-author of the Oplan Double Barrel, which focused on high-value targets under the deadly war on drugs set forth by the administration of Duterte.
And for this memes going around social media talk of Cascolan being able to arrest the attacks of COVID 19 and other infectious diseases that could emerge.
He spent a significant chunk of his career leading police stations in various parts of the Philippines, including Taguig City, the province of Compostela Valley which has since been renamed to Davao de Oro, and towns in Iloilo.
Cascolan’s appointment being criticized
Meanwhile, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) voiced its opposition to Cascolan's appointment.
"AHW believes that the president’s appointment of Cascolan is a clear manifestation of the President's extreme lack of concern for the lives, health, safety and welfare of the health workers and the entire Filipino nation,” the group said.
“Cascolan's appointment is a huge insult to our health experts who are most qualified to administer and run the affairs of the DOH," the group continued.
"Thus, AHW asserted that Cascolan's appointment runs counter to the DOH mandate of ensuring the provision of quality health service that every Filipino people deserves and in upholding the quality of life, respect for human dignity, and protect the health and safety of the health workers and the Filipino people," it added.
Still, no one has yet been named as Health Secretary, which Marcos vowed would only be filled once the country exits from COVID 19.
Tags: #DOH, #Ex-PNPChief, #CamiloCascolan