DOH to face ICI over 'incomplete' Super Health Centers

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said it is set to face the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday to tackle the almost 300 incomplete Super Health Centers. 

“Bukas, kami po ay nakatakdang humarap, ayon na rin sa imbitasyon ng ICI,” DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(Tomorrow, we are scheduled to appear, as per the invitation of the ICI.)

“Ibibigay naming lahat ng dokumento. Kami po ay buong pusong tutulong sa mga imbestigador, sa mga abogado para malaman talaga,” he added.

(We will provide all the documents. We will wholeheartedly help the investigators and the lawyers to really find out what happened.)

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa earlier said almost 300 Super Health Centers were declared to have been completed or in different phases of completion but were not operational.

One of the Super Health Centers in question is located in Marikina City, which was inspected by Herbosa on Wednesday. The health center was said to have been funded with P21.4 million from the DOH budget.

“In our investigation, initially it was funded for P11.5 million in 2022 for Phase 1, which is the foundation for a two-storey facility. Pero nagbago yung gusto ng local government, gusto gawing four-storey, so kumuha ng funds from other super health center at nilipat dito at naging P21.4 million,” Herbosa said.

(But the local government's plan changed. Tthey wanted to make it four-storey, so they took funds from another super health center and transferred it here and it became P21.4 million.)

“'Yun yung nakasulat na funded. It was started in 2023 and apparently it was just Phase 1. Phase 1 is the foundation for a four-storey facility. So this is P21 million of your taxes,” he added.

(That's what it says funded. It was started in 2023 and apparently it was just Phase 1. Phase 1 is the foundation for a four-storey facility. So this is P21 million of your taxes.)

In response, Marikina City Mayor Maan Teodoro on Wednesday said that DOH’s claim was “misleading and irresponsible” and that their statement “distorts the facts.”

She pointed out that the local government had already completed the first phase of the project, which was the foundation and structural work, with certification from DOH.

“'Wag sanang iligaw ng DOH ang taumbayan sa katotohanan. Kapag nagbigay sila ng pondo, dapat buo na. Kawawa ang tao sa ginagawa ng DOH… The funds released by the DOH were only for the first phase of construction. It is therefore false to claim that the entire facility could have been completed with such limited funds,” she said.

(DOH should not make the public lose sight of the truth. When they give funds, they should give it in full. The public suffers because of what DOH did.)

Teodoro stressed that delays in the project stemmed from DOH’s lack of additional funding to finish the project following their request for P180 million additional funds to finish the project.

Due to DOH’s alleged lack of funding, the city government said that they decided to finish the health center using local funds instead.

Domingo said the DOH, under the Constitution, has no authority to provide funds.

“Para sa amin, wala sa kapangyarihan ng DOH ang mamigay ng pera dahil ayon din sa ating Saligang Batas, ang lahat ng mga panukalang batas sa laang-gugulin, renta sa taripa, mga panukalang batas na nagpapahintulot ng pandagdag na utang galing iyan sa Kongreso,” Domingo said.

(For us, it is not in the power of the DOH to give out money because, according to our Constitution, all bills on appropriation, tariff rent, and those authorizing additional debt come from the Congress.)

“Executive branch po kami. Hindi po kami ang puwede magsabi na dagdagan ang pera o hindi,” he added.

(We are the executive branch. We are not the ones who have the power to increase the funds or not.) —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News