Palace: Up to Duque to address calls to go on leave, resign
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is leaving it to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to respond to calls for him to go on leave while the ombudsman is probing alleged irregularities in his agency's handling of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Health is under fire over the supposed anomalies in the purchase of medical supplies and the alleged delay in the release of compensation for medical frontliners.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires has ordered an investigation on the DOH's pandemic response and has required Duque and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado to submit documents detailing the use of funds for COVID-19-related expenses.
Presidential appointees facing investigation, or who are called to congressional hearings, on allegations of corruption or other irregularities have histroically stayed in their posts, with the Palace often saying that if they stay, that is because President Rodrigo Duterte trusts them.
Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, the National Capital Region Police Office chief facing criminal and administrative cases over a birthday gathering during the quarantine, is just the latest example.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has asked Duque to take a leave of absence to ensure an impartial probe while Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the health chief "should save the president from any predicament or responsibility in his tenure."
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, called for Duque's resignation, saying the administration's response to the pandemic has been slow and inefficient.
Asked to react to calls for Duque to go on leave or to quit, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the health chief should be the one to answer them.
"You know those calls are addressed to Secretary Duque. He has to answer them. I don't think I have any authority to speak on behalf of Secretary Duque.
"All I can say is Cabinet members, of course, serve at the pleasure of the president and until the president says 'I have lost trust and confidence in you', they can stay. But all calls, for either resignation or going on leave are addressed to Secretary Duque. He should address them," he added.
Despite the issues hounding the DOH, Duque continues to enjoy the trust of Duterte. Last Monday, Duterte said Duque does not need to steal government funds because he is already wealthy. The president also claimed that his officials are "clean" and that he believes in their honesty and integrity.
Duque has expressed readiness to cooperate with the ombudsman's probe and has denied that there were anomalies in his agency's handling of the pandemic. The DOH, Duque said, has completed the distribution of compensation to families of health workers who died due to COVID-19 and to medical frontliners who got severely ill while on duty. The health chief also claimed that global supply shortage had hampered the procurement of personal protective equipment for frontliners.
- Latest
- Trending
