Francisco Duque III

Francisco Tiongson Duque III (Tagalog: [fɾɐnˈsisko ˈdukɛ]; born February 13, 1957) is a Filipino physician and government official serving as Secretary of Health since 2017 in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte, a position he had previously held from 2005 to 2010 in the Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[1] From 2010 to 2015, he served as the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission.[2]

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Tiongson and the surname or paternal family name is Duque.
Francisco Duque III
Duque in 2018
Secretary of Health
Assumed office
October 26, 2017
PresidentRodrigo Duterte
Preceded byPaulyn Ubial
In office
June 1, 2005 – September 1, 2009
PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo
Preceded byManuel Dayrit
Succeeded byEsperanza Cabral
Chairman of the Philippine Civil Service Commission
In office
February 3, 2010 – September 15, 2015
Preceded byRicardo Saludo
Succeeded byAlicia de la Rosa Bala
Personal details
Born
Francisco Tiongson Duque III

(1957-02-13) February 13, 1957
EducationUniversity of Santo Tomas (BS, MD)
Georgetown University (MS)
ProfessionMedical doctor

Early life and education

Duque earned his high school diploma from Lourdes School of Quezon City in 1974 and his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 1978.[3] He then obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in 1982.[3] Duque continued his education in the United States, where he earned his Master of Science degree in pathology from Georgetown University in 1987.[3] It was at Georgetown where he underwent scientific training in immunology from 1985 to 1988.[4] In 1992, Duque finished a post-graduate course on executive education on Health Program Management at the Harvard University School of Public Health and Graduate School of Management in Boston, United States.[4]

Early Career as an academic and health administrator

From 1989 to 1995, Duque served as the Dean of the College of Medicine of Lyceum-Northwestern University. He also was Director of the University of Pangasinan at the same time (1989–1999). Duque then became the Administrator of the Lyceum-Northwestern University General Hospital the following year and became its Executive Vice-President the same time. He eventually stepped down from those positions in 2000.

Government career

PhilHealth President (2001–2005)

In June 2001, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Duque as President & CEO of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).[3] As President of PhilHealth, he initiated and directed PhilHealth's Plan 500/GMA Indigent Program which fast tracked the enrollment of 500,000 urban poor beneficiaries into the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) in one (1) year.[5] By 2003, indigent enrollment from the NHIP initiative totaled 8 million beneficiaries. President Arroyo presented PhilHealth as a showcase of her administration's successes through the successful enrollment of 5.9 million families or 29,901,890 beneficiaries in the NHIP by 2004.[6]

First Stint as Secretary of Health (2005–2009)

On June 1, 2005, President Arroyo appointed Duque as Secretary of the Department of Health because of his efficient leadership at the helm of PhilHealth.[7] As DOH Secretary, the agency achieved many impressive breakthroughs and milestones regarding public health care that helped DOH earn high approval ratings.[8] During his tenure, the World Health Organization (WHO) cited the Philippines for being one of only three nations that had excellent risk communication strategies against the deadly AH1N1 virus.[8] His five-year stewardship of the DOH was also marked by quick and stable response efforts against various health emergencies and disasters such as the Guimaras oil spill (2005), the Leyte Guinsaugon landslide (2006), St. Andrew's School mercury spill (2006), melamine-laced milk products (2008), Typhoon Ondoy (2009) and the Ebola Reston in pigs (2009).[8] Duque also served concurrently as the Anti-Hunger Czar via his role as Chair of the National Nutrition Council (NNC), tasked by the President to oversee the implementation of the hunger mitigation programs of 27 government agencies.[9] He was also appointed Presidential Oversight Chair of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).[8]

Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (2010–2015)

On January 11, 2010, Duque was appointed as the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission (CSC).[10] By March 9, 2010, Chairman Duque was named Vice-Chairman of the Career Executive Service Board (CESB).[6] During his time as CSC Chairman, Duque was pivotal in developing the CSC Roadmap for Development and Reforms for 2010–15, a five-year blueprint that details the priority programs of CSC for the country's 1.4 million civil servants.[11] Duque's other landmark programs included the Strategic Performance Management System (SPMS), Botika Para sa Taumbayan, Contact Center ng Bayan, and the CSC Computerized Examination System or COMEX.[6]

Under Duque's Chairmanship, the CSC was conferred the "Governance Trailblazer Seal" after it achieved the highest compliance rating of 9.03 at the Performance Governance System (PGS) Revalida on October 14, 2011.[12] Under his chairmanship, the CSC got the highest rating, with 98 percent of clients saying they were satisfied with the services they received from the CSC based on a Pulse Asia survey which covered the period October 24 to November 17, 2011.[13]

GSIS President and Second Stint as DOH Secretary (2017–present)

Duque was appointed Chairman of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in 2017.[14] As chairman, he began laying the groundwork for various reforms to strengthen the government corporation. However, barely one year after his appointment to GSIS, President Duterte appointed Duque as DOH Secretary once more. Upon his assumption of office as DOH Secretary on November 6, 2017, he became the first returning health chief of the agency since the reappointment of Health Secretary Paulino Garcia in the 1960s.[15]

Duque, as Health Secretary, has led reforms in improving the information technology system of PhilHealth to safeguard against fraudulent claims and other forms of cybercrime.[16] Duque has also been an outspoken champion for raising vaccination rates among children and youth to combat highly contagious diseases such as polio and measles.[17] He has urged parents, health workers, and local governments to fully participate in the synchronized polio vaccination in order to stop the disease.[18]

Duque moved for the historic passage of two major pieces of legislation – the Universally Accessible, Affordable Quality Medicine Act of 2008 and the Food and Drug Administration Law of 2009.

Conflict of Interest Allegations

On July 29, 2019, in his privilege speech, Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Duque of an alleged conflict of interest as Secretary of the Department of Health.[19] Lacson claimed that the companies of Duque's siblings, Doctors' Pharmaceutical (DPI) and Educational and Medical Development Corporation (EMDC), continued to have contracts with government agencies despite Duque taking positions in government.[20] According to Lacson, DPI continued to earn millions of pesos from the government through the lease of an EMDC building for the use of the Philippine Health Corporation Regional Office 1 in Dagupan City.[20]

During a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on August 14, 2019, Duque denied any conflict of interest in his part.[21] Duque emphasized that DPI has been partnering with the government since 1946 and was already a primary provider of anti-TB vaccines by 1996, the first time he acquired shares from the company.[21] Also, according to Duque, he has already divested all personal interests with DPI since 2005.[22] As such, there can be no conflict of interest under RA 6713 because Duque has no personal interest in the company.

In EMDC's case, Duque reiterated that the lease of the EMDC property was advantageous to the government because it allowed the Philhealth Region I Office to move out of a building that was declared a fire hazard.[23] Also, the lease went to the proper procurement process and the directive of leasing office space is managed by the Regional Vice President of PhilHealth, and not the Board in which he was an ex-officio member.[23] Duque also informed then PhilHealth CEO Alex Padilla in 2013 about his shares and was not ordered to divest, thus implying that there was no conflict of interest.[23]

Handling of COVID-19 response in the Philippines

Secretary Duque was at the helm of the Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the outbreak in the Philippines, while cases were surging in Hubei, China, Secretary Duque told House members during Question Hour at the House of Representatives that while a temporary ban on Chinese tourists has been among the options being studied by government to dodge the deadly nCoV disease, there may be serious "political and diplomatic repercussions" with such a move.[24] As Philippine cases (local transmission) increased and with limited testing capacity, he justified the violation of COVID-19 testing protocols.[25] Under his leadership, the Philippines was only able to perform 1,000 tests per day to service the 108 million Filipinos nationwide.[26]

On March 19, 2020, Secretary Duque underwent home quarantine after one of its officials was infected with COVID-19. He was tested for COVID-19 because he is asthmatic and hypertensive, according to a text message by Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.[27][28] Three days later, on March 22, 2020, the results tested negative.[29][30]

In a press briefing held on April 9, 2020, Secretary Duque noted that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines is relatively "low" compared to other countries, despite limited testing. Duque's statements ran contrary to those earlier released by the Department of Health (DOH). His special assistant, Beverly Ho, earlier said in a virtual press briefing that the impact of the ECQ would only be learned by mid-April as it was too early to tell whether it had a role in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also said that, before the "true picture" of the COVID-19 pandemic could be determined, the testing capacity of the country must first stabilize —meaning it must be able to conduct 8,000 to 10,000 COVID-19 tests a day.[31]

Due to lack of leadership and transparency, the Health chief was heavily criticized for his performance in responding to the coronavirus disease pandemic in the country. Consequently, at least 15 senators filed Senate Resolution No. 362 on April 16, 2020, to revoke his position.[32][33] On the other hand, the health secretary urged the League of Provinces of the Philippines to rally the governors to the war against COVID-19 and in establishing a "new normal" afterward. He said the 5-point strategy of the DOH is to: 1) Increase resilience, 2) Stop Transmission, 3) Reduce Contact Rate, 4) Shorten Duration of Infectiousness, and 5) Enhance Quality, Consistency, and Affordability of Care Provision.[34] Despite all, the president stood by Duque advicing not to dwell on criticisms and issues being hurled against him. The secretary has then expressed appreciation for the president's vote of confidence.[35]

On July 31, 2020, Duque reported 38,075 recoveries in a day as an adjustment to include mild and or asymptomatic cases.[36][37] Following the announcement, the keywords "mass recovery" became a trending topic on Twitter, with over 7,400 tweets as of posting time, with the majority of the posts denouncing the government for allegedly trying to deceive the public.[38] Sorsogon governor and former senator Francis Escudero stated that the change is "only in the Philippines" and is "intolerable and insulting" and asked President Duterte to fire Duque.[38]

Recognition
  • Most Outstanding Rotary President, District 3790 (1993)
  • Outstanding Thomasian Alumnus Leadership (TOTAL) Award in the Field of Government Service (2004)[39]
  • Albertus Magnus Science Award by the UST College of Science for his achievements in Medical Science, Public Health and Stewardship of the National Health Insurance Program (2007).[39]
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References
  1. Commission on Audit. "Report on Salaries and Allowances CY 2015" (PDF). coa.gov.ph. Commission on Audit. p. 131. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  2. Dr. Francisco T. Duque III, MD, MSc, Chairman, Philippine Civil Service Commission. Philippines Civil Service Commission
  3. "CV" (PDF). www.philhealth.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  4. "CV" (PDF). www.philhealth.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  6. "Archived copy". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Dayrit to DOH personnel: Support my successor". The Philippine Star. May 19, 2005. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  8. "DOH WELCOMES BACK SECRETARY FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III | Department of Health website". Doh.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  9. "GMA creates anti-hunger task force". The Philippine Star. March 27, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  10. "CA confirms Gonzalez, Puno and others". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  11. "Region III". Csc.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  12. CSC Gets Governance Trailblazer Seal
  13. CSC Tops Pulse Asia Survey
  14. "PRRD appoints ex-CSC chair Francisco Duque III as new Health Secretary – UNTV News | UNTV News". Untvweb.com. October 27, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  15. "Archived copy". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. "DUQUE: PHILHEALTH TO FAST-TRACK ANTI-FRAUD IT REFORMS | Department of Health website". Doh.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  17. "Doh Launches Anti-Rabies Campaign, Reminds Public To Be Responsible Pet-Owners | Department Of Health Website". Doh.gov.ph. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  18. "Polio Case Confirmed in the Philippines: DOH to mount mass immunization campaign | Department of Health website". Doh.gov.ph. September 19, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  19. "Lacson accuses Duque of conflict of interest – UNTV News | UNTV News". Untvweb.com. July 30, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  20. "Duque hopes to reach out to Lacson to clear things on conflict of interest allegations". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  21. "Archived copy". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. "Conflict of interest? Duque insists family's firms transacted with gov't legally". ABS-CBN News. August 14, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  23. Ma. Teresa Montemayor (August 15, 2019). "No conflict of interest in PhilHealth building lease deal: Duque". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  24. "Duque rejects ban on Chinese tourists, cites diplomatic, political repercussions". Manila Bulletin.
  25. Yee, Jovic. "Duque explains 'preferential tests' for Duterte kin, others". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  26. "DoH looks at 1,000 tests daily". The Manila Times. March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  27. "Philippine health chief on quarantine, awaits COVID-19 test result". ABS-CBN News. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  28. "Duque on self-quarantine, undergoes test for COVID-19". GMA News. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  29. Talabong, Rambo (March 22, 2020). "DOH Secretary Duque tests negative for coronavirus". Rappler. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  30. "Health Secretary Duque tests negative for COVID-19". CNN Philippines. March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  31. Galvez, Daphne. "PH has one of lowest COVID-19 infection rates in the world, says Duque". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  32. Magsino, Dona (April 16, 2020). "Senators seek Duque's resignation for 'failure of leadership' amid COVID-19 crisis". GMA News. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  33. Rey, Aika (April 16, 2020). "Majority senators call on Duque to resign over 'failed' coronavirus response". Rappler. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  34. "Duque enlists govs in 'Beat COVID-19' strategy". April 29, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  35. "Duque on fresh resignation calls: 'I serve at the pleasure of the President'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  36. Kravchuk, Max. "SURPRISE! 'Mass Recovery' From COVID-19 Recorded in a Single Day As Cases Hit Close To 90,000, Exceeding China's". OneNews.ph. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  37. "How PH recorded over 38,000 COVID-19 recoveries in a single day". Rappler. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  38. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (July 30, 2020). "What mass recovery? Escudero joins calls for Duque's firing". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  39. "Alumni – University of Santo Tomas". Retrieved April 6, 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by
Manuel Dayrit		 Secretary of Health
2005–2009		 Succeeded by
Esperanza Cabral
Preceded by
Paulyn Ubial		 Secretary of Health
2017–present		 Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Delfin Lorenzana
as Secretary of National Defense		 Order of Precedence of the Philippines
as Secretary of Health		 Succeeded by
Ramon Lopez
as Secretary of Trade and Industry
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