Drilon: Duque must stop pointing fingers to hospitals on delayed release of frontliners' benefits

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon told Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday to stop playing the blame game on the issue of the delayed release of medical frontliners' benefits.

“I’m sorry to tell Secretary Duque that hindi dapat gan’on (he should not do that). Do not point fingers. See what the problem is, see how it can be solved rather than pointing your finger to the hospitals,” Drilon said in an ANC interview.

“The fact remains that our health workers have not been paid their Special Risk Allowance, etcetera,” he added.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on Wednesday, Duque said private hospitals are the ones accountable for the release of healthcare workers who are under their companies.

“’Yung mga ospital ng private entities na mga ito, sila ang actually may accountability dahil sila po ang nakakakila doon sa kanilang mga healthcare worker,” Duque said.

(The privates hospitals are actually the ones who have the accountability on the benefits of their employees because they are the ones who know their healthcare workers.)

“So may proseso ho sila diyan. Meron ho silang (They also have a process for that. They have their respective) human resource office to properly identify who should be the legitimate recipients of these benefits,” he added.

In the same hearing, the officials of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) have also pointed their fingers at each other on the delayed release of special risk allowance (SRAs) of healthcare workers.

Drilon said Duque’s explanation on the delayed release of benefits is “totally unsatisfactory” as he reiterated that data shows DOH failed to obligate funds intended for the medical frontliners’ allowances.

“For Secretary Duque to blame the DBM for the delays or the hospitals, that’s totally passing the buck…he must assume full responsibility for this,” Drilon said.

He further pointed out that passing the blame to other sectors or other government agencies reflect Duque’s leadership in the department.

“Well, we have to look into that but certainly blaming each other and pointing fingers at each other when the COVID-19 response is your primary responsibility does not speak well of the leadership of the DOH. They should assume responsibility and do something about it,” Drilon said.

On the other hand, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon said he does not discount the possibility of filing charges against individuals involved in the procurement of overpriced face shields and face masks.

“Dito sa overpricing meron 'yan (Someone will be charged amid the overpricing allegations),” Gordon said in a Dobol B TV interview when asked if the Senate panel will recommend filing of charges in its committee report.

The Senate panel on Wednesday grilled officials from the DOH and the DBM over the highly-priced face masks and face shields flagged by the Commission on Audit in its 2020 annual audit report.

The senators mentioned the COA report, which showed that the DBM-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) had purchased face masks at P27.22 each and face shields priced at P120 each.

Former DBM Undersecretary Christopher Lloyd Lao, who was the DBM-PS chief when the COVID-19 supplies were procured, might be summoned by the committee if necessary.

Drilon said Lao could be the "missing link" in the COA findings specifically with regard to the procurement of face masks, face shields and various medical supplies.

"He leaves behind him so many questionable transactions which we will dig into. We will not leave any stone unturned in uncovering what could be a possible overpricing in procurement service," he said.

Moreover, Gordon said that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is scrutinizing the problems in the DOH that may force Duque to resign.

“Siyempre, magpapaliwanag sila at maari ring may problema sila na baka mapilitan magresign si Duque kung saka-sakali dahil mukhang sa kanya nanggagaling ang bagal e. Dapat talaga my hagupit siya doon na masyado siyang mabait sa mga tao niya na pinapaikot siya,” he said.

(They still have to explain and there may be other problems in the department that may force Duque to resign because it seems that he was the reason why there are delays in the department’s processes. He should assert authority in his department.)

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will continue its investigation into the deficiencies in the DOH’s utilization of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds on August 25.—AOL, GMA News