Tasks him to form new team for fund distribution after Duque blames DOH staff
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte questioned Health Secretary Francisco Duque III why the Department of Health has not yet distributed much needed financial assistance to the families of 32 health care workers who died in the line of duty due to COVID-19.
In a televised briefing of the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 meeting held Thursday, June 4, but was aired on Friday morning, June 5, the President asked Duque why it took them more than two months to craft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on this. He also asked him to explain why the DOH failed to immediately process cash benefits of health care workers, including those who got severely infected with COVID-19, and those who died due to the disease. He said that the delay was “totally unacceptable.”
The DOH chief blamed some of his people at the DOH and expressed shame that they did not have any “sense or urgency.” He did not identify who these were.
The President them directed him to form a new team that will take care of providing and delivering immediately the financial assistance to the health care workers who had been severely afflicted with COVID-19, and to the families of health care workers who died due to COVID-19.
In his public address, Duterte said Duque should get members for this new team even from other departments.
Severely afflicted health care workers with COVID-19 should have been given P100,000, while families of health care workers who died due to the virus should have been given the P1 million cash assistance immediately, Duterte said, based on the “Bayanihan To Heal as One” Act that he signed into law more than two months ago, on March 24.
The President started the meeting asking Duque to explain the delay.
“Let us start by discussing the issues affecting the health department. Sir yung preparation of assistance, is it being worked down the line? he asked the DOH chief.
-“Nakakahiya talaga Sir,” Duque expresses shame for DOH delay, blames his people-
Duque, who flew to Davao City, to attend the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) with the President blamed his people at the DOH for the delay.
He said that he was very ashamed that his people had not done the work immediately and dilly-dallied instead, using the local word, “nagpa-wardi-wardi”
“Kasi nakakahiya talaga Sir e. Namatayan na nga tapos nagpa-wardi wardi yung mga tao ko na parang walang sense of urgency , kaya ang sama sama ng loob ko Mr. President,” Duque answered in response to President Duterte’s questioning.
He told President Duterte that he had already directed his staff at the DOH “not to go home” until they finish processing and delivering the checks to the affected health care workers and the families of those who died.
“We have to respond to the problem, besetting the distribution of assistance,” Duterte told Duque.
“We will comply Mr President with your deadline. Sabi ko, huwag silang uuwi tonight or tomorrow we can, because you gave a three-day deadline to distribute the checks,” Duque told the President in the meeting on June 4 in Davao City which was aired online and on television Friday morning, June 5.
“So I told them already, ‘You do not go home,'” Duque said relaying what he told his DOH staff.
“Identified na po yung 32 families. Although yung sabi sa akin kanina may mga conflicting claims (on the P1 million). Sabi ko i-count out na lang yun,” he explained to the President.
He said that the P100,000 to be given to health care workers who became critically ill with the virus, was on top of the P700,000 benefits given by Philhealth for their hospitalization.
“Yung pinapatutukan ko po yung 32 families na kinakailangan po yung ayuda nila na 1 million based on your directive. Dapat yun irelease based on your directive. Ipadala na yung tseke,” he said.
-Duterte reminds Duque he has power to replace “laggards” in DOH-
Duterte reminded Duque that he has the power to dismiss people in his department who are not working as fast as they should in this time of crisis.
He called government people who have no sense or urgency as “laggards” and told Duque that government money should not be wasted on these people.
“You have to move fast,” he told Duque.
“Itong Pilipino, di na natuto, kakasabi ko lang, (if I gave) an order for something to be done, hindi ako nagbibilang ng buwan. Nagbibilang ako ng araw,” the President said.
He said that Duque can dismiss his people who are not working fast enough and are not functioning for “total lack of confidence.”
“We are wasting money, paying for these idiots. Ang lalaki pa naman ng mga allowances, ng mga suweldo niyan (They have such huge allowances, salaries).” Duterte said.
“There are many well intentioned, well meaning Filipinos, doctors and all who would want to serve government to contribute to humanity. and we do not have to suffer itong mga ito,” he told Duque.
The President advised Duque that he cannot do everything by himself, and has to properly delegate duties.
“Justi like me, you cannot run your own errands,” he said.
-Pres. Duterte to Duque: You should have asked DILG’s help-
He said that Duque should have asked the Department of Interior and Local Government for help on how it was able to distribute financial assistance to millions of Filipinos.
The President said he will not let go of officials, if they commit an honest mistake especially those who are really working hard. But he said he would never condone officials if they would be found to be corrupt.
Duterte said because of issues of corruption in the distribution of funds, he has early on directed the military to do this, but Duterte said that he does not want to downgrade Duque’s department after hearing Duque’s explanation, and on how the DOH chief expressed his supposed emotional pain (sama ng loob) regarding how some of his people acted.
-Reminder against corruption-
“That’s why in the beginning, I said that all financial matters be it in the form of assistance, nilipat ko yan kay Galvez, sa military para madali. Well, I do not want also to downgrade your department, kasi mawala ka na ng identity in the national narratives of what the government is doing,” the President told Duque.
But he said that he has two more years remaining in government, he would not want corruption.
“Ako, anything, maski sabihin mo palamura, hayaan ko na lang yan. Huwag lang corruption talaga,” the President told Duque.
In the course of the meeting, the President later rold Duque that he is giving him authority to form a body within 24 hours composed of people — even those from outside the DOH — that would take care of the immediate delivery of the financial assistance to the health care workers, particularly those who should be given the P100,000 cash assistance, and the families of health care workers who died who should be given P1 million each.
He said that this should be done immediately.
“You have the authority or assemble the team, it doesnt have to be from the department itself,” the President told Duque.
(Eagle News Service)
