Casiño opposes bills converting government hospitals to corporations

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  — Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño called on his colleagues in Congress to withdraw their support for bills converting public hospitals in the country into corporations.

This is a grand disguised privatization scheme that further let go of the responsibility of the government to provide health care to the people, said Casiño, who also attended the Cadiz City Charter Day celebration last Wednesday.

“I appeal to the people of Negros to help make our legislators realize that House Bill 6069 (Act Creating National Government Hospital Corporations), and its counterpart Senate Bill 3130 (National Government Hospital Corporate Restructuring Act), have dire, if not life-threatening implications, for poor constituents”, Casiño said.

The hospital corporatization and the public private partnership scheme will result to higher hospital fees and will make healthcare services inaccessible for poor families in Negros and the whole country, he added.

HB 6069 is authored by Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez, while SB 3130 is authored by Senator Franklin Drilon.

Corporatizing the 26 government hospitals, as mentioned in HB 6069, will only worsen the situation of all government hospitals that do not have ample budget allocations from the government, Casiño said.

Meanwhile, Casiño said he is running for senator in 2013, and is open for coalition with the NP of Senator Manuel Villar or PDP-Laban of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“I have my own party, the Makabayan Coalition, but I am open for coalition with other major political parties. It will still depend on the political developments,” he said.

Unlike in the House of Representatives, the marginalized sectors have no voices in the Senate, as the Senate is “dominated by big politicians, actors, and very high profile persons,” said Casiño.

“I feel that it’s time we put in someone really grounded sa sitwasyon ng ordinaryong tao. That’s what I hope to contribute to the Senate,” he added.

Former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Sen. Villar, said the NP is also willing to adopt Casiño.  (FREEMAN)