DILG Secretary Eduardo Año supported DOH Secretary Francisco Duque amidst Ombudsman probe.
Eduardo Año, the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), expressed his support to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III.
This, despite DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III was facing an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over issues related to the coronavirus disease pandemic.
RELATED ARTICLE: Ombudsman Orders ‘Motu Propio’ Investigation On Duque, Health Officials
According to Eduardo Año, he still believed that DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III was “just overwhelmed” with his task especially in preventing the further spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among the public.
In an interview on ANC, Año said that he had seen Duque working every day and he was “really a very hard worker”, adding that he also expressed his support to DOH Secretary.
As per the report, Ombudsman Samuel Martires had ordered a “motu propio” investigation on DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III and other health officials over the following reasons:
- purchasing 100,000 test kits by the DOH
- delaying procurement of PPE and other medical gears that were necessary for healthcare workers’ protection
- the increasing number of fatalities and infected medical frontliners
- inaction in the processing and release of financial aid and benefits to infected and “fallen” medical frontliners
- alleged irregularities and lapses that led to medical frontliners’ death
- confusing and delayed reporting of coronavirus-related confirmed cases and fatalities
The Department of Health said that the DOH will comply with the directives of the Ombudsman during the course of the investigation.
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