HINIMOK ng tatlong senador si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na pakinggan ang kanilang mga rekomendasyon hinggil sa pananagutan ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque III sa mga iregularidad sa Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Ito ay makaraang manindigan si Pangulong Duterte na tiwala pa rin siya kay Duque.
Sinabi ni Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III na mas makabubuti kung kakausapin sila ng Pangulo o basahin man lamang ang kanilang committee report.
“The President should talk to us and not just listen to the excuses. Better yet, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea should have the President read the Senate report,” saad ni Sotto.
Naniniwala si Sotto na hindi alam ng Pangulo ang detalye ng mga kaganapan sa PhilHealth kasabay ng paninindigan na dapat managot si Duque, bilang chairman ng PhilHealth Board of Directors, sa Article 217 ng Revised Penal Code.
Umaasa naman si Senador Panfilo Lacson na hindi maaapektuhan ng bagong pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte ang imbestigasyon ng Department of Justice hinggil sa anomalya sa Philhealth.
“With his appointed chief investigator to his right and one of those being accused in the PhilHealth mess to his left, he cleared the accused of any wrongdoing. End of story,” saad ni Lacson.
“I would like to think that Sec Guevarra’s known probity and strong adherence to the rule of law will prevail over partisanship and other political or personal considerations,” dagdag pa nito.
Sa panig naman ni Senador Kiko Pangilinan, hinikayat din nito ang Malakanyang na pakinggan ang mungkahi Senado at palitan na si Duque.
“He is damaged goods and cannot hope to be able to effectively lead the country’s already faltering anti-COVID campaign.
It is long overdue for Malacañang to show decisive leadership and political will by firing Duque and revamping the IATF,” saad ni Pangilinan.
“Ang huling limang buwan ay naging kahila-hilakbot na pagpapakita ng kawalang-kakayahan at gulo sa PhilHealth.
Dapat magising ang administrasyon na kailangan muling i-reboot at i-redirect ang kampanya ng COVID para malayo sa napakakitid nitong pagpapatupad ng batas at militaristikong bias tungo sa isang holistic na diskarte sa kalusugan ng taumbayan,” diin pa nito. (DANG SAMSON-GARCIA)
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