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'Put a doctor in the Senate': More docs seek elective posts to lead pandemic response

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Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="At least 2 medical doctors on Wednesday filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) to join the Halalan 2022" s="" Senate="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/06/coc.jpg"/><figcaption>At least 2 medical doctors on Wednesday filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) to join the Halalan 2022&#x27;s Senate race</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — At least 2 medical doctors on Wednesday filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) to join the Halalan 2022 Senate race, with both saying the government&#x27;s pandemic response remains insufficient and medical experts now need to take the lead.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/15/21/poor-leadership-affecting-philippines-pandemic-response-says-community-doctor">Poor leadership affecting Philippines&#x27; pandemic response, says community doctor</a></li></ul><p>Medical doctor and lawyer Leo Olarte, the Philippine Medical Association&#x27;s (PMA) current legal affairs chief and former president, appealed to Filipinos to vote for a medical professional in the legislature to properly address the unprecedented health crisis. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Put a doctor in the Senate!”<br/><br/>Doctor &amp; lawyer Leo Olarte, former PMA president, files candidacy for senator.<br/><br/>“Kailangan po ng doktor sa Senado para magamot ang COVID-19… The logical solution for this COVID will come from medical experts not from any field, says Olarte. <a href="https://t.co/QTCGkDpy9f">pic.twitter.com/QTCGkDpy9f</a></p>— J.E. Villaruel (@jauhnetienne) <a href="https://twitter.com/jauhnetienne/status/1445568045942935555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;Kailangan po ng doktor sa Senado para magamot ang number one problema ng mundo at Pilipinas, ang COVID-19... The logical solution for this COVID will come from medical experts, and not from any field,&quot; Olarte said.</p><p>(We need a doctor in the Senate to cure the number problem of the world and the Philippines— COVID-19. The logical solution for this will come from medical experts, and not from any field.)</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="tl">Eye Bank president Dr. Minguita Padilla files candidacy for senator, says Senate needs a medical professional.<br/><br/>“Kulang ang pagtugon sa pandemya. Inuuna ang kapakanan ng negosyo…at garapalang pagpapayaman sa kabila ng labis na paghihirap nating lahat,” Padilla says. <a href="https://t.co/TXhJwZLfsH">pic.twitter.com/TXhJwZLfsH</a></p>— J.E. Villaruel (@jauhnetienne) <a href="https://twitter.com/jauhnetienne/status/1445583293018095616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The next one who filed for her candidacy as senator was Dr. Minguita Padilla, a practicing ophthalmologist and current president of Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines. </p><p>&quot;Kulang ang pagtugon sa pandemya. Inuuna ang kapakanan ng negosyo... at garapalang pagpapayaman sa kabila ng labis na paghihirap nating lahat,&quot; Padilla lamented.</p><p>(The response to the pandemic is wanting. They prioritized businesses... and blatantly making themselves rich despite our struggle.)</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/27/21/read-what-has-been-uncovered-so-far-at-senate-probe-on-pharmally">LIST: Alleged anomalies uncovered at Senate probe on Pharmally</a></li></ul><p>Padilla is part of the slate of Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, the party of the 2022 tandem of Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/04/21/doctors-seek-better-govt-response-amid-covid-19-surge">Medical group tells gov&#x27;t officials to &#x27;get acts together&#x27; amid COVID-19 surge</a></li></ul><p>Padilla said she was also tapped by opposition coalition 1Sambayan, but it has yet to finalize its lineup so she decided to go with Partido Reporma. </p><p>Once elected, both doctors promised to spearhead a medical-based approach in responding to the pandemic. </p><p>The government&#x27;s Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has been criticized for its composition, many of them with military background instead of medical.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/31/20/who-are-the-ex-generals-leading-the-presidents-covid-19-response-plan">Who are the ex-generals leading the President&#x27;s COVID-19 response plan?</a></li></ul><div><br/> </div>

The doctors appealed to Filipinos to vote for medical professionals in the legislature to properly address the unprecedented health crisis. 

'Put a doctor in the Senate': More docs seek elective posts to lead pandemic response

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'Put a doctor in the Senate': More docs seek elective posts to lead pandemic response

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 06, 2021 03:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Comele

Commission on Elections

pandemic election

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Halalan 2022

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COC filing

certificate of candidacy

doctors

pandemic response

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