Give Duterte time to evaluate evidence vs Duque, says Palace

September 7, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte should be given time to evaluate all possible evidence against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who up to now enjoys his trust and confidence despite a Senate recommendation to file criminal charges against the health chief over the alleged corruption in Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

In a televised press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace respects the opinion of Senate President Vicente Sotto III who earlier said that Duterte might change his mind about keeping Duque in the Cabinet after he reads the Senate report on the PhilHealth multi-billion peso fraud.

"The President has not yet seen the Senate report. So, let us give him the time to read the Senate report and let us see," he said, adding that if there could be basis on the report, Duterte's position on Duque might change.

"The President was a lawyer, who also became a fiscal, so he knows the rules of evidence. He is the one to decide if the Senate conclusion is believable or not. All I can say is rest assured that the President has the professional competence to evaluate evidence for himself," he said.

The Senate Committee of the Whole had conducted an inquiry over the alleged corruption in PhilHealth.

It recommended the filing of criminal charges against PhilHealth executives, including Duque, who is the ex-officio chairperson of the state health insurer, and former PhilHealth president and CEO Ricardo Morales.

The Senate found that there were alleged improper and illegal implementation of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism to address the coronavirus pandemic.

While the Senate was conducting an investigation on PhilHealth, Duterte also ordered the Department of Justice to create an inter-agency task force to conduct its own probe to be completed in one month.

Duterte has yet to receive a report from the DOJ. Celerina Monte/DMS