President Rodrigo Duterte again came to the defense of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and said he would refuse to accept his resignation over an audit report that flagged his department's mishandling of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 response funds.
In a prerecorded public address, Duterte recalled how Duque had "attempted" to resign twice, so he was expecting him to do it again.
“I know you want to resign, but I will refuse you," he said.
Duterte insisted that Duque should not resign because he did “nothing wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong. Why will you resign?" he added.
Duque III on Tuesday called the Commission on Audit's report on the DOH as unfair and unjust, saying the issue damaged the dignity of the agency and its workers.
During a House of Representatives hearing on the COA report, Duque said he and other health officials have been losing sleep as COA's 2020 audit report regarding the supposed deficiencies in managing the pandemic funds brought down the agency's morale.
He said the DOH was not even given the chance to submit a rejoinder to the audit report that was based on preliminary observations, even crying during one part of his testimony.
“You've damaged us. You've destroyed DOH's dignity. You've damaged every one of us here and we cannot face the people because of several accusations. I haven't had enough sleep yet for days,” he said.
He said COA should consider the fact that the DOH is not operating under normal circumstances, but rather in a state of public health emergency.
Duterte said those who believed that Duque was corrupt should file charges before the Supreme Court, forgetting that graft cases are handled by the Sandiganbayan, not the high tribunal.
"In the end, if you find that there is something missing… then file a case before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will be a fair arbiter of things," he said.
He said he would not allow any of his Cabinet members to steal from public funds.
“I'm the President and I promised that I will protect you, it includes your money. Do you think I will allow a Cabinet member to steal even P1,000? You really think that I would allow it?" he said.
Duterte said the deficiencies discovered by the COA could be attributed to incomplete paperwork, stressing that it does not automatically mean that money is being stolen.
Duterte has defended Duque in several speeches amid calls for him to resign over controversies in the government's COVID-19 response and irregularities involving the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) (see related story on A4 – Editors).
He had repeatedly said that he still has full trust in Duque.
Despite renewed calls for Duque to resign, the Health chief continues to enjoy Duterte’s “full trust and confidence,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Tuesday.
On Friday, the COA clarified its report, noting that "deficiencies" did not mention findings linked to corruption.
But a state auditor on Tuesday told Congress the Department of Health’s failure to use P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds led to missed opportunities to improve the country’s health care system amid a national emergency. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)
In a congressional hearing, COA Supervising Auditor Rhodora Ugay said the DOH could have been used to buy ambulances, medical equipment and supplies and personal protective equipment.
A nurses' organization on Tuesday said it was disappointed with President Duterte’s defense of Duque.
“It is disappointing,” Filipino Nurses United (FNU) president Maristela Abenojar said in an interview on ANC when asked about the President’s defense of Duque.
Abenojar said some health workers still have not received their benefits for working on the frontlines against COVID-19, including a special risk allowance, active hazard duty pay, and meal, accommodation, and transportation allowances.
“The same thing keeps happening, but they no longer respond positively to our request,” she said.
“They should remember that for every health worker, there are families. If you deprive one health worker, let’s say one nurse, of their basic benefits, that means a lot of people will not be fed nor be given their needs,” she said in Filipino.
Health workers’ groups earlier warned that they would stage a mass protest to demand the release of their benefits if their concerns are not addressed. Abenojar said FNU will also take part in the protest.
“We have been very supportive of our fellow health workers, public and private,” she said.
The DOH said it had already released benefits to hundreds of thousands of health workers.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, said Duterte should look beyond Duque and start paying attention to public sentiment.
He said the President should be reminded that he was elected by the people whom he has sworn to serve.
"Health workers are already exhausted and yet many are still earning from them through their Special Risk Allowance under Bayanihan law," Lacson said.
There were also many other issues that the DOH has failed to address, he said.
"Incompetence should not merely be ignored especially in the middle of crisis and pandemic," he said.
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, said he was frustrated over the failure of the DOH to give the Special Risk Allowance and other benefits due to health workers, particularly those working in private hospitals.
"That's my biggest frustration since we only have a few private hospitals in the country," said Zubiri.
"What was the cause of the delay? Is there anybody in charge of the system?” asked the senator.
He said the hazard pay was a promise that Congress made to health workers and not to pay it out was “unforgivable.”
In the House, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte suggested slashing the DOH budget for 2022, saying its top officials “fell flat” in justifying to Congress the agency's alleged mishandling of its over ₱67 billion in COVID-19 pandemic response funds.
“What makes the DOH’s action—or lack of it—far more contemptible is that while health officials chose to sit on their hands rather than spend available money on programs to boost our health care capacity and save lives from the coronavirus, they had no qualms about buying pricey laptops worth about P700,000,” Villafuerte said.
He said his proposed cut in the DOH’s budget for 2020 should be realigned and given to other agencies that need more funds to fight the coronavirus; and assist families, businesses and other sectors hardest hit by the pandemic.
"It certainly was an act of criminal negligence on the part of Secretary Duque and the rest of our health officials in leaving our medical frontliners and our people to their fates by intentionally not using local and foreign funds at the DOH’s disposal to beef up our health care capacity and save lives," Villafuerte said.