Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Wednesday, December 11 questioned the memorandum of agreement (MOA) among the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Tingog Party-list supposedly for the Rural Financing Health Development Program.
In a privilege speech, Dela Rosa said he finds it questionable why the Department of Health (DOH) is not involved in the program when it is the primary government agency that handles programs related to health and development.
“Sa taun-taon nating binabalangkas ang national budget, ang Department of Health (DOH) lamang ang nakikitaan ko ng programa patungkol sa mga health infrastructure (Every year, when we draft the national budget, the DOH is the only program I see that lays out programs regarding health infrastructures),” Dela Rosa said during a privilege speech.
“In addition, the DOH has the mandate to provide technical assistance, consultation, and advisory services to stakeholders regarding health facilities regulation. More to the point, it is the DOH which issues the so-called Certificate of Need whenever a government or private entity desires to establish a new hospital,” he pointed out.
“Kaya naman, nakapagtataka para sa akin, bakit kaya hindi naisama ang DOH sa isang programa na sa ating pagtingin ay bahagi o nauugnay sa mandato nito (That’s why, I find it puzzling, why isn’t the DOH included in the program which we believe should is part of its mandate)?” he asked.
In particular, Dela Rosa said he finds Tingog Partylist’s role in the said MOA to be questionable.
“Bakit kaya mas pinili ng DBP at Philhealth na makasama sa kanilang MOA ang isang Partylist kaysa sa Department of Health? Gusto ko rin pong malinawan (Why did the DBP and PhilHealth chose to partner with a partylist group instead of the DOH)?”
“Sa isang banda, nakakapagtaka rin po kung bakit hindi rin mas pinili ng DBP at PhilHealth ang Department of Interior and Local Government na siyang may mandato (On another note, it’s also puzzling to see why the DBP and PhilHealth chose the DILG which has the mandate) to exercise general supervision over local government units?” he pointed out.
Tingog Party-list is led by Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, the wife of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The supposed agreement “Maalagang Republika: Rural Financing Health Development Program” seeks to expand hospital infrastructure and improve healthcare financing in the country.
“Mas may kapasidad ba ang Tingog Partylist kaysa sa DOH at DILG para mag assist and coordinate with LGUs (Does Tingog Party-list have the capacity to assist and coordinate with local government units than the DOH and DILG) in ensuring their participation to the program intended to rehabilitate, expand, or construct LGU hospitals? O kaya naman ay makapag-provide ng (Or can they provide more) complementary programs and trainings to ensure the fiscal viability of the operations of the hospital?” he pointed out, citing some of the obligations of Tingog Party-list under the agreement.
“Ang tanong ng lahat sa kasunduan na pinirmahan ng (the question about the agreement signed by) PhilHealth, DBP, at Tingog Partylist: Legal ba ito (is this legal)? Ethical ba ito (is this ethical)?”
“Hinaluan at hahaluan ba ng politika ang mga programang pangkalusugan? Masasabi ba natin na ito’y purong etikal at legal, at walang halong adyendang pulitikal? Mayroon po bang nalalabag na batas kagaya ng mga paratang ng ibang mga nakapansin sa timing ng programang ito?
Dela Rosa vowed to ask further questions about the MOA and Tingog Party-list’s role in the program should the Senate Committee on Health and Demography chooses to hold an inquiry about the matter.
“Asahan niyo po, hinding-hindi po ako mahihiyang magtanong (Rest assured, I won’t be shy to ask questions),” the senator said.