Health workers on Monday said Health Secretary Francisco Duque is a “liar” concerning his claims DOH had already released special risk allowances (SRA) worth P9 billion to regional offices and hospitals.
“Kaya ko sinasabi na sinungaling… Nagpapahayag kayo sa mga media na ang mga health worker sa private sector ay nabigyan ng sinasabi ninyong benepisyo. Ano nga po ‘yung benepisyo? Hindi nga po natatanggap ‘yung nakapaloob doon sa DOH Administrative Order 2020-0054,” said Jao Clumia, president of the St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City Employees Association.
(I say they’re lying because… You tell the media that health workers in the private sector have been given benefits. What are the benefits? We haven’t even received those included in the DOH Administrative Order 2020-0054.)
AHW secretary-general Benjamin Santos Jr. also called Duque III a liar, citing the Commission on Audit’s finding that there are “deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of COVID-19 funds worth P67.32 billion.
“Ang lagi niyang sinasabi ay wala siyang magagawa sapagkat isa lamang siya sa ahensya ng gobyerno na tumutugon dito. Subalit ngayon, malalaman pala natin na ang karamihan at bilyon-bilyong pondo ng DOH ay misused, unused, at unutilized,” he said.
(He always says there’s nothing he can do because he is only one of the agencies of the government involved in this. But now, we’ve learned that billions of DOH funds are misused, unused, and unutilized.)
Health workers say Duque is a ‘liar’
“Kaya po direktang masasabi natin na nagsisinungaling si Secretary Duque sa harap ng milyon-milyong mga health worker,” Santos added.
(That’s why we can directly say that Duque is lying in front of millions of health workers.)
Meanwhile, Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) national president Robert Mendoza said health workers plan to hold a mass protest.
“Kami rin ay mag-a-announce rin, kasama ng private hospitals, ng mga malakihang pagkilos para iparating sa gobyerno ‘yung ating mga hinaing, grievances, at pagkadismaya sa panahong ito,” he said in an online forum.
(We will also announce, along with private hospitals, a mass action to relay to the government our grievances and disappointment at this time.)
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