Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing czar Vivencio “Vince” Dizon remains to be part of the Duterte government and is busy helping in the fight against the dreaded disease, Malacañang said Thursday.

In a press statement, acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles denied reports that Dizon has joined the campaign team of the presidential aspirant and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

“There is no truth to the reports circulating that Secretary Vivencio ‘Vince’ Dizon allegedly joined the campaign team of a presidential aspirant,” Nograles said.

Nograles issued the statement following reports that Dizon will serve as Domagoso’s deputy campaign manager and head of the statistical research team.

According to reports, Dizon’s supposed role in Domagoso’s presidential bid was confirmed by Lito Banayo, the campaign strategist of Aksyon Demokratiko’s standard bearer.

The reports came after Dizon resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) on October 15.

Nograles, however, clarified that Dizon stays as one of the front-runners in the Duterte administration’s anti-coronavirus efforts.

“Sec. Dizon remains a working member of the Cabinet of the Duterte Administration as Presidential Adviser for COVID-19 response,” he said.

Nograles added that Dizon has no time to engage in any political activities related to the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.

“Sec. Dizon is focused on the vaccination efforts of government, and not with any political campaign,” he said.

Apart from being the administration’s point person in the testing drive against the coronavirus, Dizon also concurrently serves as the chief deputy implementer of the National Task Force Against COVID-19.

As BCDA chief, Dizon also contributed to the success in the implementation of big-ticket projects under the government’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program. (PNA)