MAYNILA - Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Friday he does not want to continue to serve in his post under the next administration.

President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly rejected calls for Duque's firing over his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the P15-billion corruption allegation against medical state insurer PhilHealth, whose board is chaired by Duque.

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"No. I am tired, I am so tired. I wanna go back to my province... I’m going back to the university that the family runs. It’s a private higher education institution. Tama na (I've had enough). I’ve been secretary of Health twice," Duque told reporters.

Duterte appointed Duque as health chief in 2017 after the Commission on Appointments rejected Paulyn Ubial.

Duque previously served as health chief from June 2005 to January 2010 under then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was also chairman of the Civil Service Commission during the Aquino administration.

--With a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News