MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has given agencies ten days to pay healthcare workers who have yet to receive their benefits following concerns that the delayed release of their allowances could lead to hospital understaffing during the pandemic.
Duterte said the Department of Health can use whatever funds the government has to compensate the healthcare workers who are in the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.
"With regard to frontliners who are complaining about their allowances... I am now ordering, this is an order, (DOH) Secretary (Francisco) Duque (III), pay them. Use whatever money there is. Give the benefits that nurses both in government and those outside the government are asking for. Pay the volunteers," Duterte said in a pre-recorded public address aired Saturday.
"If you do not have money, spend whatever is there. I’m ordering you to use every money there," he added.
Duterte said the health workers' benefits should be released even if it means borrowing money and personnel from other agencies or "selling" the DOH.
"I would like the one has the money or authority for to spend, DBM (Department of Budget and Management), I'm giving you ten days. You do not have personnel? Borrow from other agencies or from wherever. Get employees or borrow people from COA (Commission on Audit). Give the money to Secretary Duque and he will pay (the healthcare workers)," the president said.
Last June, the DBM released P9.02 billion to the DOH for the payment of the special risk allowance of healthcare workers. The funds covered the payment of medical frontliners' special risk allowances not exceeding P5,000 per month from Dec. 20, 2020 to June 30, 2021. However, some healthcare workers claim they have not received the benefits guaranteed to them under the two Bayanihan laws. Some sectors have expressed concern that the complaints about the delayed release of benefits could lead to mass resignations and hospital understaffing.
Last Wednesday, Duque told senators private hospitals have "accountability" for the delayed release of the benefits since they have a system to properly identify the recipients of the benefits.
Contingency funds
Duterte said the DOH may also use his contingency funds to pay the benefits of medical frontliners.
"My order is to pay all the allowances and whatever, you can source it from (anywhere) you want...you can get it from my contingency fund. That's the reason, again, I have to explain to the people why it's huge," the president said.
"You have to borrow, beg, steal, just to find money and any deficiency, I will supply it with the contingency fund if there is anything left. But I'm willing to share the burden through my funds, independently of what you have. You just raise the money, tell me how much you still need. If I can provide it, pay immediately. It's just paper or a phone call. The letter follows," he added.
Duterte assured the public that his contingency fund won't be used to support the administration's candidates for next year's elections.
"Others said I was asking for it because I will use it as a campaign. I do not have a candidate. I do not even know yet who will run. Anyway, it's politics. But I pity them because they can never be president," he said.
"These politicians behave the way they are now, I can assure you, they can never be an administrator of the country. If they are, I think they (would) govern miserably," he added.