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Duterte orders Duque to form new team to handle cash aid for sick, fallen health workers
By VIRGIL LOPEZ, GMA News President Rodrigo Duterte directed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to form a new team that will manage the distribution of cash assistance to COVID-19-hit health workers.
At a briefing with Cabinet officials aired on Friday, Duterte said Duque should tap “persons of known honesty” who will “take care of these funds which ought to be in the hands of the intended beneficiaries by this time.”
“I expect it within 24 hours,” he said.
Duterte shielded Duque from criticisms over the delay even as he found the development “totally unacceptable.”
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“Sino pala pagawain ni Duque nito? Ang pagawain niya ang Department of Health, hindi ‘yung Bureau of Fire. Saan pala siya maghingi ng tulong? Where do we get the resources, both the money and the human workers there? Sa kanyang opisina.”
The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act directed the President to provide compensation of P100,000 to public and private health workers who may contract severe COVID-19 infection while in the line of duty.
A P1 million compensation will be given to health workers who died while fighting the outbreak.
The provision on compensation for health workers will have a retroactive application starting February 1, 2020. Its implementation, however, has been hampered by the lack of implementing rules and regulations, prompting Duterte to order government officials to distribute the cash assistance not later than June 9.—AOL, GMA News