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‘Heroes’ push Duque ouster Frontliners seek SRA release on ‘national day of protest’ By Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta
H
EALTH workers from various hospitals protested Wednesday in front of the Department of Health (DOH) office in Manila demanding that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III resign over his failure to release long overdue benefits to medical frontliners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
VOL. XXXV • NO. 199 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com
SRA ‘22 funds got House okay, snagged in Senate At a budget briefing before the House committee on health, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the budget for THE Department of Health said the SRA was in the Bayanihan 3 bill, Wednesday there were no funds for the which has been approved by the House, special risk allowance (SRA) of health but remains pending in the Senate. workers in the 2022 budget.
By Maricel V. Cruz and Willie Casas
DOH director Larry Cruz, meanwhile, said that of the P311 million released by the Department of Budget and Management last week, P308 billion was already
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Palace hits back, accuses Drilon pals of overprice By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta, purchase of his allies in the previous administration of PPEs worth at least P3,000 each. and Marciel V. Cruz MALACAÑANG on Wednesday denied that the administration purchased overpriced personal protective equipment (PPEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it was the previous administration that bought PPEs at a higher cost. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque asked opposition Senator Franklin Drilon to explain the
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2,003,955 14,216
140,949
33,533
86
1,829,473 18,754 (As of 4 PM, AUGUST 30)
The Duterte administration bought PPEs worth P1,700 each during the pandemic, Roque said. Drilon dismissed Roque’s allegations, saying they were aimed at diverting public attention away from the Duterte administration of P8.6 billion worth of overpriced face masks, face shields and PPEs from a small company, Pharmally, which is Next page
Pacquiao ready to probe Go on ethics, but where’s the rap sheet
By Vito Barcelo THE government is preparing a proposal to hold a “multi-day” voting for the 2022 national and local elections amid the prevailing threat of the public health crisis, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said Wednesday. “We are looking a possibility that the elections will be conducted in a multiday election, not a single day election, so that we can prevent the possible con-
members of militant groups. On Tuesday, the Department of Health (DOH) said it has disbursed over P237 million of the additional P311 million funds released for the COVID-19 SRA of an additional 20,000 health workers. The P311 million was sent to DOH regional offices on Aug. 27, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. The protests pushed through despite Duterte’s Aug. 21 order to the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management to pay the already delayed allowances to frontliners within 10 days. Next page
Health workers put DOH Secretary Francisco Duque inside a makeshift jail during the holding of their “National Day of Protest” on September 1, 2021 as they demand his immediate ouster, holding him accountable and liable for gross neglect, inept and inefficient response in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. They also press for the distribution of the special risk allowance and payment of other benefits due them as front liners in the war on COVID-19, during the rally held at the DOH main office. Danny Pata, Norman Cruz
Multiple day voting mulled amid ‘crisis’
The placards they carried also called for the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte, who on Monday called frontline workers modern-day heroes. Wearing personal protective equipment, the health workers demanded the release of their benefits including the special risk allowance (SRA), active hazard duty pay, and allowances for meals, accommodation, and transportation. Hospital operations were not affected since participants in the rally were offduty medical workers. The health workers were joined by
SENATOR Emmanuel Pacquiao said he was ready to lead the Senate ethics committee’s investigation of Senator Christopher Go’s alleged involvement in the procurement of reportedly overpriced medical goods. “It depends. As chairman of the ethics committee, if there is a complaint submitted to my committee, then I will have to take action,” Pacquiao said. In a privilege speech Tuesday, Go accused his colleagues of bullying but said he would welcome any investigation to end all speculations. Go has repeatedly denied his link to Christopher Lao, who served as the DBM-PS chief when the medical goods were procured at the start of the pandemic in March last year. “I support our collective goal to find out the truth. But if we do not know how
to listen, or, worse, if we already have a conclusion even before getting all the facts, then we have failed in providing the people true and accurate information. Aren’t we all for the truth? I am one with you here in the Committee,” Go said. Next page
WHO MONITORING NEW ‘MU’ VARIANT WORLD / B2
2-million cases mark breached; Granular lockdowns favored over wide ECQ daily log drops Senator Bong Go
THE proposal to replace the city- or province-wide community quarantine levels with granular two-week lockdowns is now up for approval by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolutions, Interior spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said. “There is consensus among the different government agencies that instead of a wide ECQ, the government will just impose granular lockdowns,” he said. Malaya said the national government gave assurance it would augment support to local government units in giving
Christopher Lao
food assistance to affected residents. Under the proposed two-week granular lockdown, he said LGUs would provide assistance for the first week while the national government and Department of Social Welfare and Development would shoulder it on the second week. Last week, the Interior department recommended that even authorized persons outside residence (APORs) should not be allowed to go out during granular lockdowns to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalaos
Jr. said granular lockdowns might be better for Metro Manila. “A hard lockdown should always be the last option. Personally, that’s my point of view,” he said. Abalos said 3,040 households in Metro Manila are currently under granular lockdowns. Elsewhere, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said six local government units in Metro Manila have completed the deadline for the payout of cash assistance to low-income beneficiaries affected by the recent enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Next page
By Willie Casas, Vito Barcelo, Rey E. Requejo and Joel E. Zurbano THE Philippines logged on Wednesday 14,216 new infections, breaching the 2 million mark of COVID-19 cases, the Department of Health said, with incoming vaccines to be deployed to the provinces where spikes have been recorded. This, after an independent research group said the National Capital Region’s reproduction number of COVID-19 cases had gone down to 1.43 as Next page