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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos doubts DOH released special risk allowances for healthcare workers

Marcos doubts DOH released special risk allowances for healthcare workers

Published Aug 16, 2021 03:40 pm

Senator Imelda “Imee” Marcos on Sunday, August 15 expressed doubts the Department of Health (DOH) was able to release the funds for the special risk allowances for healthcare workers despite Health Secretary Francisco Duque III’s pronouncements.

Marcos made the statement amid Duque’s statement he will look into reports that some healthcare workers have not yet received their SRAs even for the year 2020.

Duque earlier claimed that the funds for SRAs for 2020 have already been released to regional offices of the DOH.

“Unang-una, hindi ako naniniwala na naibigay sa mga ospital yun. Kasi wala naman silang binabayad sa mga ospital. Mula sa PhilHealth, or hanggang dito sa (First, I don’t believe they gave anything to the hospitals. Because they haven’t paid hospitals anything. Even from PhilHealth and this) special risk allowance,” Marcos said in an interview on Radio DZBB.

“They haven’t paid anyone. Kaya hindi ako maniwala na na-download sa mga ospital (That’s why I don’t believe they downloaded funds to hospitals),” she further said.

She also believes it’s impossible for the DOH not to know whether these have been released since the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Commission on Audit (COA) are strict when it comes to liquidation.

“Kaya obligado ang DOH alamin kung saan napunta yung perang yun, kung meron nga silang binayad talaga (that’s why the DOH is obligated to explain where the funds were spent, if they indeed released these),” she pointed out.

Marcos also said she hopes that Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate blue ribbon committee, will take up this issue during its investigation into the COA’s report on Wednesday.

Gordon’s panel is set to start its probe into the DOH’s alleged flawed use of its P67.32-billion COVID-19 response funds.

Aside from this issue, Marcos said the DOH has to explain the issue regarding the P95-million worth of expired medicines.

“Lahat yan ipapaliwanag nila. May pagkakataon pa sila. Pero sa totoo lang. ang lalaking halaga niyan. Di ka naman maniniwala na hindi magastos ng maayos (They have to explain all of these. They still have time. But apparently, these are huge funds. It’s hard to believe they can’t utilize these funds correctly),” she said.

And while she agrees with the COA that it never mentioned there was corruption in the way the DOH used its COVID-19 response funds, there was clear “mismanagement” on the part of the state health agency.

“Yung mismanagement, inefficiency talagang maliwanag (it was clear),” she stressed.

Related Tags

special risk allowance Senate blue ribbon committee Department of Health (DOH) imee marcos francisco duque iii richard gordon Healthcare workers
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