Ashamed DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday blamed his subordinates over their department’s failure to distribute the financial benefits for the families of medical frontliners who died in the line of duty and health workers who contracted the disease.
Duque reported to President Rodrigo Duterte in a televised meeting among members of the government’s COVID-19 task force that he already ordered his people to expedite the distribution of P32 million indemnity to the families of the fallen COVID-19 heroes.
“Yung pinapatutukan ko po, yung 32 families na kailangan po yung ayuda nila na P1 million, based on your directive, dapat yun i-release,” Duque said.
(I asked them to focus on the 32 families who needed the P1 million cash aid, based on your directive, it should be released.)
“Kasi nakakahiya talaga, Sir, namatayan nga tapos nagpa-wardy wardy yung mga tao ko na parang walang sense of urgency. Kaya po ang sama sama po ng loob ko, Mr. President,” ashamed Duque added.
(It’s so embarrassing, Sir, they lost their loved ones, but my people were just carefree, they have no sense of urgency. I really feel bad about it, Mr. President.)
Also read: Duterte gives DOH 3 days to compensate families of fallen COVID-19 heroes
Senate President Vicente Sotto earlier lambasted and reminded Health Secretary Duque in a letter that the government had already allocated funds to compensate medical health workers and that the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act had been in effect since March 25.
“The efforts and sacrifices made by our health-care [workers] need not be more emphasized. Their being so-called COVID-19 heroes and the accolades they received each day are enough reminders for them to get noticed, including you. But it seems that you pay no heed to these facts,” Sotto told Duque.
“It is very disconcerting to know that after more than two months [after] the law’s implementation, no health worker and his or her family has received their supposed remuneration for sacrificing their own lives for our own,” he added.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque meanwhile said Monday President Duterte gave DOH three days to release the health workers’ compensation.
“The President gave until Tuesday for concerned agencies to release the compensation benefits to health workers who got sick and died of COVID-19 in the line of duty,” Roque said.