Frustrated Go moves to terminate Drilon's questions over local hospitals

Senator Bong Go on Thursday expressed frustration over Senator Franklin Drilon's questions over proposed measures that will obligate the national government to fund several provincial hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Go, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, moved to terminate the interpellation of the measures he was sponsoring after Drilon pressed him on devolution of health services to the local government units under the Local Government Code of 1991.

Senators, including his allies in majority, agreed with Drilon that questions regarding the measures should continue to be addressed on the floor.

Drilon also raised the Mandanas ruling of the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2018 that local governments' internal revenue allotments would be sourced from all revenues collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.

Go said the local government units' budget cannot shoulder the expenses to build hospitals, adding that the national government must step in to help in construction of health facilities.

"Wala silang pera to operate the hospital sa Pangasinan, 'yung sa Senate President Neptali Gonzales at Davao Occidental hindi po nila kakayanin... It has a plan sa hospital, iyong kalahati ng hospital budget ang kakayanin. Kailangan national government ang sumalo dito," Go said.

After a lengthy exchange, Go expressed dismay over Drilon's issues in the bills and indicated that the minority leader was delaying the passage of the measures.

"Andyan na po ang bills, aprubado na po ang lower House yung nasa kamay ng Senado. Bakit pa natin patagalin pa Mr. President? Kawawa naman po ang Pilipino. Nasa pandemya po tayo," Go said.

"Bawat araw na mayroong namamatay buhay rin po yung ng Pilipino. Apparently, Mr. President, sad to say mayroon nang iba," he added.

"Sorry to tell you, you're pretending you are not against but really you are against it. In this crucial time, we need these facilities, we need these upgrades. LGUs are asking for assistance, they cannot take these burdens," Go said.

"Paikot ikot lang ang usapan na yan. Mr. President. Sinasadya lang nila patagalin," he added.

At one point, Go voted to skip the period of interpellations for his bills: "May I move that the interpellation for these measures be terminated, pagbotohan na lang po natin."

Drilon rejected Go's motion to terminate the period of interpellation.

"One of the traditions of the Senate since time immemorial is that the cloture is never invoked in the debates. Never, never," said Drilon.

Other senators, including Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Pia Cayetano said the interpellation should continue.

Drilon also disagreed with Go's comment that there are delays being created to pass the said measures, adding that there are legitimate concerns in the bills in terms of governance policies.

"There are legitimate issues that we raised. This involves the Mandanas ruling and its effect on fiscal ability on the government to respond to its need. Maybe the Cabinet itself is concerned about this," said Drilon.

"I take exception to the motive on my part. Attribution of motive of malice, the uses, 'Bakit pa natin pinapatagal ito?' It implies I am doing it simply to prolong it," he added.

"If the good sponsor can answer questions in a more precise way, asking for suspension, e baka mapabilis tayo. But I resent and take strong exception na pinapatagal natin ito," Drilon said. —NB, GMA News