Groups question ex-PNP chief Cascolan's qualifications for DOH post
MANILA, Philippines — Groups and healthcare advocates are questioning the qualifications of Philippine National Police chief Camilo Cascolan, among the brains behind the Duterte administration's "war on drugs", as undersecretary at the Department of Health.
In a statement, the Alliance of Health Workers called the move 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."
They also said the appointment "runs counter to 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."
"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 said.
Cascolan is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and has a master's degree in Public Administration from UP Visayas.
In a separate interview aired over CNN Philippines' The Source, public health advocate Dr. Tony Leachon backed the appointment, recalling his previous working experience with the former PNP chief.
"For a moment, I was surprised. But after reflecting on it, several military officers were also appointed to key health positions in the past," he said. "Sometimes you don't get the right man for the right job, for the right time and the right place."
"I've worked with Cascolan before. He's assertive, organized, and up to date with reports. I can't judge him."
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Med students cite lack of experience
The Philippine Medical Students' Association also panned the appointment as it pointed to the disconnect between the ex-PNP chief's history and his current post.
"The appointment of an inexperienced individual outside of the healthcare field is an overt affront to the numerous competent and qualified professionals in the country," it said in a statement.
"The long wait the people had to endure only to discover Cascolan as the undersecretary is depreciating and offensive to the medical discipline at best."
Immediately after his retirement from the national police, Cascolan was also appointed undersecretary at the Office of the President by then President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I want the people to understand that this is the government’s work, not everything is a crisis," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said earlier when pressed about when he plans to appoint a health secretary.
The PMSA called this statement "a blatant insult to the field and the HCWs who diligently work even without proper compensation."
"Everyday, the field loses HCWs not only to the pandemic but also to dissatisfaction," they also said.
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