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Heads must roll over SRA mess, 'deficiencies' in use of COVID-19 funds —Zubiri
By HANA BORDEY,GMA NewsSomeone should be held accountable on the alleged deficiencies in the Department of Health’s use of COVID-19 funds, especially on the delayed release of the special risk allowance of health workers (SRA), Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday.
“Somebody has to [be] blamed for this mess particularly the special risk allowance…Heads have to roll particularly in the non-release of these funds,” Zubiri said in an ANC interview.
“The blame was now to the [Department of Health] in the implementation of the release of these allowances so let’s hold them accountable for it,” he added.
Zubiri said some of the funds for the medical frontliners’ allowances and benefits were “stuck” at the DOH’s regional offices.
“Somebody has to be an implementer for that. Hindi puwedeng hugas-kamay na lang pag-release mo dun sa regional office, hugas na ng kamay tapos bahala na kayo d’yan,” he said.
(These officials cannot just wash their hands after releasing the funds to the regional offices.)
The lawmaker said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III should impose disciplinary actions against department heads or his subordinates should there were inactions at the regional level.
“If the department heads are telling lies to the secretary then I am giving the secretary the benefit of the doubt, baka binobola siya ng regional directors niya, eh di palitan niya o i-suspend niya (he could replace or suspend them),” he said.
"At the end of the day, I hate to say this, but it is command responsibility. With the COA reports, somebody should apologize and say 'You know, I screwed up' and sana gumanda ang galaw nila (and I hope the will do better)," he added.
Zubiri made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte defended Duque anew
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The Senate blue ribbon committee is set to investigate the alleged deficiencies mentioned by COA in its audit report on the DOH’s utilization of its COVID-19 response funds.
Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the blue ribbon committee, said the hearing will focus first on the release of medical frontliners’ hazard pay and allowances.
In the same public address Monday night, Duterte urged the Health officials to prioritize the payment of allowances and other benefits due to the country’s health workers amid protest of some groups over delayed pays.
Several groups of health workers from both government hospitals and the private institutions have been complaining of the non-release of their special risk allowance and the removal of their other benefits such as meal and transportation allowance even as they continue to be at the frontlines in the battle against COVID-19.
Some have threatened to go on mass leave over what they call government’s neglect of their plight.
Duque earlier said he would look into reports that some health workers have yet to receive their pay. —KBK, GMA News