Duque agrees executive shouldn’t block Cabinet officials from COVID-19 supplies probe

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday said he “agrees” that the Executive Department should not block the testimonies of Cabinet members in the Senate investigation into the alleged government procurement of overpriced medical supplies in 2020.

At a Senate hearing, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon brought up a manifesto, signed by medical professionals and published on October 9, expressing support for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing.

The senator said the manifesto states that “public officials should be accountable to the people, they should serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency.”

“Do you support the call of these physicians, members of your profession?” Drilon asked.

Duque answered in affirmative, but emphasized that before they were ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte not to attend the Senate probe, they were present at all Senate hearings on the matter.

“Yes…to ferret out the truth. That is my position,” the Health secretary said.

Drilon then asked Duque if he agrees that the Executive Department should not block the testimonies of Cabinet members before the Blue Ribbon.

“Yes, we do. But of course at the same time we have to attend and focus as well on…our state of public health emergency and we need to ramp up our vaccination activities and really make time to oversee and monitor the progress of the LGUs,” Duque told Drilon.

The minority leader said Duque’s position can be subject to debate, pointing out that it is not the Senate who requested all the directors of the Department of Health to attend the probe.

“That’s your prerogative, but we do not like to be pictured as paralyzing the COVID effort of this government,” he said.

Duque suggested a “reasonable adjustment” so that the Cabinet members can attend the hearings and at the same time, they can do their jobs in responding to the pandemic.

“Maybe the frequency can be looked into like for example, in one week, how many times, maybe once. It’s just a suggestion,” Duque said.

Drilon then asked Duque if he could suggest Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to call on Senate Blue Ribbon chairman Richard Gordon and “come up with a compromise.”

“Would you take that issue up with the Executive Secretary?” Drilon asked.

Duque responded: ‘“Yes, I will do that.”

Last October 5, Duque and other health officials skipped the Senate probe into the government contracts with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Only the representatives from the Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Bureau of Customs attended the probe.

This happened after President Rodrigo Duterte signed a memorandum stating that all officials and employees of the executive department must focus their time and effort on the implementation of measures to address the current state of calamity on account of COVID-19, and in carrying out their functions.

Gordon said Duterte’s order to ignore the Senate probe into the purchase of COVID-19 supplies was "unconstitutional."

Medical groups demanded accountability and transparency as the Senate has continued its investigation amid Duterte's tirade against the chamber, while business groups and academic institutions have called for government cooperation with the probe. — BM, GMA News