Senator asks: Shouldn't Duque be suspended over DOH 'deficiencies'?
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Wednesday sought Health Secretary Francisco Duque III's suspension after state auditors flagged "deficiencies" in his department's handling of P67.32 billion in pandemic funds.
At a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the reported deficiencies, Poe raised that Ombudsman Samuel Martires last year ordered the preventive suspension of eight Philippine Health Insurance Corp. executives and five DOH officials for alleged offenses related to the use of public funds during the pandemic.
"When asked whether this probe would affect the morale of the health department during the pandemic, the Ombudsman refused to budge and instead raised the question for us, ‘Are we not, as a people, also suffering from low morale?’" Poe said, quoting the chief graft buster.
The suspensions were ordered after the National Bureau of Investigation filed charges. A preventive suspension is meant to keep officials from interfering with or influencing proceedings against them.
"Today, we take it further and raise the question which still hasn’t been answered despite numerous probes in the past: Shouldn’t Secretary Duque be suspended by now if you’re going to apply the same judgment as what happened to the PhilHealth executives?"
Duque continues to enjoy the support of President Rodrigo Duterte who said again during a televised address earlier this week that he would not accept a resignation from the health secretary.
Duterte, who previously said his most pressing goal before the end of his term was to rid the government of corruption, cursed at state auditors, telling them to refrain from "flagging" government transactions and programs as "it will condemn the agency or the person."
READ: Duterte reminded: COA an independent body, necessary check on state spending
'Criminal' failure to release hazard pay
Poe was also among the senators who sounded the alarm over the P11.89 billion of unobligated allotment for active hazard duty pay and special risk allowance that was flagged by COA.
"Ito po ay hindi lamang kapabayaan, sabi nga ng isa, ito po ay kriminal (This is not just negligence, as someone said, it is criminal)," Poe said.
"Somebody must be held accountable."
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon also noted that P975 million under Bayanihan 1 for special risk allowance and active hazard duty pay went unobligated.
Filipino Nurses United Secretary-General Jocelyn Andamo further told senators that many health workers reported that they have not yet received their special risk allowance and hazard duty pay.
A table presented by FNU showed that health workers across several regions and hospitals have not received benefits since September 2020.
Andamo presents data on benefits received by health workers throughout the pandemic.
— Bella Perez-Rubio (@BellaPerezRubio) August 18, 2021
"So far, there are many still relaying to us...that they have not yet received their special risk allowance and active hazard duty pay." @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/5eqp9f4kua
In response, Sec. Duque said the health workers cited by FNU are those not catering directly to COVID-19 patients.
But FNU disputed this, saying that some nurses who have reached out to them have worked in their respective hospitals' COVID-19 wards.
Sen. Richard Gordon, Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, added that all health workers in hospitals with COVID-19 wards should be eligible for hazard pay and special risk allowance, citing the difficulty of determining who has been in direct contact with the virus and that exposure to the virus should be assumed.
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