Senate panel recommends appointment of new DOH chief with ‘stronger will’ vs. corruption

The Senate Committee of the Whole's report has recommended the replacement of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III amid controversies in PhilHealth.

Committee Report No. 107, filed on September 1, said President Rodrigo Duterte should "appoint a new Secretary of the Department of Health who has a stronger will to fight corruption within his organization and the agencies under his or her watch."

Duque, who is currently serving as chairman of the PhilHealth Board, was among those who had been recommended by the panel to be slapped with criminal charges over the "improper and illegal" implementation of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism.

Reacting to the recommendation, Duque said the Senate panel made baseless findings against him.

"I was impleaded on the IRM when I was not even part of the deliberation and did not sign the said resolution. Ni anino nung aking pirma ay hindi makita," he said.

At least two senators also said they would want to delve further on the issue on whether there is sufficient evidence to implicate the DOH chief.

But Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Duque's negligence would still be covered by the Revised Penal Code.

"Basahin niyang mabuti ang Revised Penal Code, Article 217 kasi negligence lang sapul ka  sa malversation. Eh ikaw ang chairman of the Board eh, nagpasa kayo ng mga kung anu-ano. Ibig sabihin pasa nang pasa 'yung Board wala kang kamalay-malay?" Sotto said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

In April, several senators also filed a resolution seeking the resignation of Duque for alleged failure of leadership in the country's fight against COVID-19 but the latter has refused to go and has been defended on several occasions by Duterte himself.  — RSJ, GMA News