After pinning blame on staff, Duque takes responsibility for delayed compensation to workers
MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he is taking responsibility for the delayed release of compensation to COVID-19 infected healthcare workers, hours after his remarks pinning the blame to his staff was aired on national TV.
“While I expressed disappointment towards some members of my team, I acknowledge that this is still responsibility as SOH,” Duque wrote in a tweet Friday noon.
This was hours after he said, in a recorded Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease meeting aired Friday morning, that the delay is “embarrassing.”
Replying to President Rodrigo Duterte, Duque said: “Nakakahiya talaga sir. Namatayan na nga, tapos nagpawardi-wardi mga tao. Parang walang sense of urgency, Sir. Yun ang talagang ang sama sama ng loob ko, Sir.”
(It is really embarrassing, Sir. They already lost someone, but my staff dilly dallied. It’s as if they don’t have sense of urgency. It brings me heavy resentment.)
DOH to meet Duterte's deadline
Duterte opened the IATF meeting by asking updates on the distribution of compensation to COVID-19 infected healthcare workers, as held under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
The Health secretary said the department has identified the 32 families who are eligible for the million-peso compensation, for the death of their family member who died due to COVID-19 in line of duty as health worker.
Medical workers who were “severely” ill with COVID-19 meanwhile are entitled to P100,000 aid, as stated also in the Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
Duque assured that they will comply with the deadline the president set for the release of the monetary compensation, which is on June 9.
The health chief had also been reminding his staff daily to hasten the release of the money, Duterte said.
“Can you imagine, two months? Then you are ganging up on the secretary (Duque) everyday because they are not working?” the president said.
Duterte then told Duque to form a team that will focus on the delivery of monetary compensation to the healthcare workers. “I expect it within 24 hours.”
Lacson: Duque shifting blame
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in a statement also on Friday, said that many are wondering whether Duque has an “amulet” to receive special treatment.
The senator said that while he is not questioning Duterte’s prerogative to appoint his appointees, “it is kind of boring to see Sec. Duque pointing fingers at his subordinates and other people for his pattern of failures in running the DOH-getting away with it each time.”
Lacson said that Duque has resorted to blaming “his inadequacies and neglect on those who have not received the compensation allowances, by claiming that some of them have two wives.”
Duque told Duterte and his colleagues that one of the problems they encountered is the deceased having two families.
“Goodness gracious! Mr. Secretary, they are no longer around to defend or explain themselves!”
More than half of the members of the Senate earlier in April called for Duque’s immediate resignation, citing the DOH chief’s supposed “failure of leadership, lack of foresight and inefficiency in the performance of his mandate.” — Kristine Joy Patag
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