The Ministers of Health of Asian powerhouses Japan, Singapore, and South Korea are all economists. So are the Health Ministers of Vietnam and Canada. The Heath Ministers of Israel and Australia are lawyers; so is the American Health Secretary. And heading the Health Department of India is — of all people — a historian. The last time I looked, the populations of these countries are far from being decimated, the least of all India.
So why are the collective panties of the local opposition up in a bunch over the appointment of Gen. Pikoy Cascolan as undersecretary of our Department of Health? The former head of the Philippine National Police isn't exactly chopped liver: A distinguished graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, he rose from the ranks to become police Director-General. Before that, with a master's degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines, he ably discharged various functions in the PNP having to do with administration and operations. Having led a national organization principally tasked to combat crime, Cascolan's qualifications should be above reproach.
Yet the opposition, which has received a sound trouncing in the polls three times in a row — a record of sorts in this country — needs something to criticize, no matter how petty. Hence, the loud protestations over the President appointing a "policeman" to the DoH. Never mind that, from among their ranks, an Atty. Alexander Padilla used to also be a health undersecretary and later, chair of PhilHealth; and a certain Risa Hontiveros — a journalism graduate and now a lousy senator — a PhilHealth director. Hypocrisy, indeed, for the opposition, knows no boundaries.
Verily, one cannot but wonder with mouth agape (ala Noynoy) at the disingenuous memes put out by the Yellows and Pinks, of people going to the DoH to have themselves checked by a doctor, only to be told by a cop in uniform to fill out a police blotter. No person in his right mind goes to the DoH for a medical checkup; they go to a clinic or hospital if they have, for instance, a tummy ache or, in the case of the Kakampinks, to know why their hemorrhoids still hurt so long after the May 2022 elections.
Such criticisms stem from a narrow understanding of what the DoH does. While its main task is obviously to dispense health care for all Filipinos, such responsibility cannot be limited to providing medical services much as a hospital does. There are matters of logistics, operations, transportation, procurement, maintenance, etc. involved so that its mission is delivered throughout the length and breadth of this country. Medical doctors, notwithstanding their high level of technical learning, may not be trained to handle those, especially during extraordinary times. A soldier's touch may be needed to wage war against a deadly disease that, like Leni, has not yet conceded defeat.
The Yellow/Pink horde should just leave Cascolan and let him prove his worth in the health sector. After all, those who assail his appointment are basically the same ones who shoved a woman totally inexperienced in government service with a major in French, down our throats some 36 years ago and made her serve as President of our Republic. That was when we had the chance instead to have a Doctor of Laws from Yale with a long and illustrious career in public service. We all know how that went. And these clowns are the same people who still revere a dead President who allowed a suspended PNP chief to lead an anti-terrorist operation, which ultimately resulted in 44 dead policemen. So much for being good judges of qualifications.
These critics should just — as the young are wont to say — STFU, lest they show this early why there should be a fourth repeat defeat for the next elections because all that they are doing is making much a-DoH about nothing.
