MANILA – Malacañang stated on Wednesday that it respects the grievances of healthcare personnel who have been protesting for the release of their long-overdue benefits and the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the 1987 Constitution grants all Filipinos the freedom to assemble peacefully and petition the government for redress of grievances.
He also stated that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already granted approximately PHP300 million in funds for healthcare workers’ special risk allowance (SRA).
“Karapatan po ng lahat ng mamamayan na iparating ang kanilang damdamin at siyempre po ‘yan ay protektado ng Saligang Batas. Pero yung ating tinatawag na special risk allowance, ‘yan po ay nai-release na (It is the right of every citizen to air their grievances and of course that is protected under the Constitution. But the special risk allowance has been released),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
Roque also recognized delays in the delivery of SRA for healthcare workers, noting the late release of the list of names of healthcare workers in private hospitals as an example.
“Nagkaroon po ng konting delay dahil nga dun sa pagsusumite ng mga pangalan sa hanay ng mga pribadong hospital kasi yung special risk allowance ay binigay po ng Kongreso sa lahat ng health workers, hindi lang po sa pang-gobyernong mga health workers (There were slight delays because of the submission of names by the private sector because this special risk allowance was given to all health workers, not just those working in government),” he added.
DBM Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda announced on August 25 that her agency has released PHP311.79 million for the SRA of both public and private healthcare workers in the country.
“Tama si Spox na yung SRA, so far, ay naibigay na, nai-distribute na sa mga ospital. Yung actual grant nalang siguro dun sa mga taong entitled dito sa allowance na ‘to, yun ang hindi pa nagagawa (Spox is right that the SRA, so far, has been disbursed to hospitals. Perhaps it is the actual grant to those entitled that has not been done yet),” she said.
‘Nothing wrong’
Meanwhile, Roque reaffirmed that the President is leaving it up to Duque to resign in response to criticism that the DOH failed to fulfill the deadline for releasing Covid-19 benefits.
“Nasa kamay na po ni Secretary Duque kung siya’y magbibitiw. Kung siya’y magbibitiw, ang sabi ng Presidente tatanggapin niya (It’s in Secretary Duque’s hands whether he’s going to step down. If he decides to resign, the President said he will accept it),” he said.
He further said that Duterte is staying firm in his decision to maintain Duque, saying that he “did nothing wrong”.
“Kung ang gusto ng ilang kanyang mga kritiko ay i-fire si Secretary Duque, sa mata niya, wala pong masamang ginagawa si Secretary Duque pero kung ninanais ni Secretary na bumitiw (If his critics want him to fire Secretary Duque, in his eyes, Secretary Duque did nothing wrong but if he wants to step down), he will honor and respect that decision,” he added.
Frontline healthcare workers protested outside the DOH compound in Manila and outside their own offices on Wednesday, demanding the release of their hazard pay and other perks.
They claimed that the SRA released was insufficient to compensate the country’s 1.8 million healthcare workers.
