๐ทAlliance of Health Workers Facebook page
The Alliance of Health Workers fully supports the order of the Office of the Ombudsman to file graft charges against former Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Christopher Lao on the alleged transfer of P41B funds from DOH to Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM). Ombudsman also dismissed them from the service with forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from reentering government offices.
AHW that has long been at the frontline campaigning for health workersโ safety, protection, rights, and welfare in the height of pandemic have long been calling for accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, especially during a health crisis.
โThe Ombudsmanโs Order to file graft charges against Duque and Lao is a big relief and a good development to us health workers and the patients who have been victims of the criminal neglect of the DOH and the Duterte administration during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. It sends a strong message that those in positions of power and other government authorities abuse of power will be held accountable for their wrong actions, especially when it comes to the handling of public funds,โ said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president.
To recall, health workers have been facing numerous challenges during the pandemic, including shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), long working hours, and inadequate compensation.
โWe are enraged, and we will never forget that during the first surge of pandemic in our country many from our ranks have been infected with deadly virus and worst died because we lack quality personal protective equipment (PPE), no medicines and medical supplies due to the negligence and incompetence of the DOH and Duterte administration. Then we found out that there is a P41B anomaly in Pharmally deal,โ stated Cristy Donguines, a nurse and president of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center Employees Union-AHW.
โThe P41B should have been utilized for the purchase of COVID-19 and non-covid medicines, medical supplies and equipment, health workers protective gear and payment for health workers unreleased COVID-19 benefits. Many poor patients would have benefited from their hospitalization and treatment,โ Donguines expressed.
AHW also call for the accountability of the DOH for the disposition of drugs, medicines and supplies that were only stored in DOH warehouses that eventually expired and wasted wherein many patients are deprived of free medicines and medical health services.
As the country continues to grapple with the challenges posed by extreme health, economic and political crisis, health workers are counting on the government to uphold integrity and accountability in the management of public funds. Health workers are calling for transparency in the use of public funds, particularly in the health sector, to ensure that the funds are properly allocated and utilized for the benefit of the Filipino people.
Health workers will remain vigilant and steadfast and committed to their duty of providing quality health services to the Filipino. While they continue to monitor developments in the case against Duque and Lao and hopeful that justice will be served for the Filipino people. #
