'Shouldn't Duque be suspended by now?' Poe asks at Senate hearing on DOH

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III should have been suspended over the alleged deficiencies in the use of public funds amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Grace Poe said in a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

In her opening statement, Poe recalled the Ombudsman’s suspension of eight PhilHealth officials over the alleged anomalous release of P2.7 billion worth of PhilHealth funds under the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism.

She also mentioned the Ombudsman’s suspension of five Department of Health (DOH) officials over alleged failure to release the benefits of health workers amid the current public health emergency.

Poe said these officials were suspended due to "various offenses related to the use of people’s money during the pandemic."

“Today, we take it further and raise the question which still hasn’t been answered despite numerous probes in the past: Shouldn’t Secretary Duque be suspended by now if we are going to apply the same judgements as what happened to the PhilHealth execs?” Poe asked.

“It’s very simple, P11.89 billion of unobligated [funds] for hazard pay and special risk allowance. Ito po ay hindi lamang kapabayaan, sabi nga ng isa, ito po ay kriminal [this is not just negligence, as what others say, this is criminal],” she added.

Poe emphasized that somebody has to be held accountable for the current health situation in the country.

Duque was virtually present at the hearing but has yet to respond to Poe's statement.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said “heads must roll” on the alleged deficiencies in the DOH’s use of COVID-19 funds, especially on the delayed release of the special risk allowance of health workers.

The Commission on Audit has flagged the “deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of P67 billion in COVID-19 response funds.

The deficiencies in the DOH’s utilization of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds led to missed opportunities to improve the country’s healthcare system amid a state of national emergency, COA Supervising Auditor Rhodora Ugay said Tuesday.

In his latest public address, President Rodrigo Duterte again defended Duque after state auditors released their observations on the use of COVID-19 funds.

Duterte, in the same address, 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 benefit 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.  —KBK, GMA News