President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Department of Health to form a new unit who shall take over the distribution of the law-mandated benefits for health workers who was afflicted with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Duterte said he wants Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to form this new team within 24 hours.
“Now I am asking Sec. Duque to form a new team that would focus on the immediate delivery fo the assistance that should be given to yung namatay at nagkasakit. I expect it within 24 hours,” he said.
The Bayanihan to Heal As One Act provides for a compensation of P100,000 to public and private health workers who contract severe COVID-19 infection while in the line of duty will receive and P1 million for families of those who die “while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The President said the delay in the distribution of cash benefits was “totally unacceptable” as he reprimanded Congress for not noticing the lack of action.
Duque passed the blamed his staff for the delay in the release of the said benefits.
Duterte earlier gave authorities until Tuesday, June 9 to give the benefits to qualified recipients.
