MANILA, Philippines — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will have to wait a little longer before he secures his confirmation from the Commission on Appointments (CA).
The CA committee on health headed by Sen. Gregorio Honasan suspended the confirmation hearing of Duque to allow other members of the commission to deliberate further on the appointment.
Duque, who faced the CA for the first time yesterday since he was reappointed to the post by President Duterte in October of last year, faced two critics who were promptly dismissed by the committee after allowing them to state their cases before the members.
But Honasan said the deferment of Duque’s confirmation was not so much due to those opposing it, but more of other “issues.”
“Now what is the reason for these (more hearings), the DOH and the secretary (have) tremendous manpower and other resources in (their) discretion and disposal, that’s why the commission is being deliberate –nothing to do also with the Dengvaxia issue,” Honasan told reporters, referring to controversial dengue vaccines administered to hundreds of thousands of children only for its manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur, to admit later that it should be given only to those who have had dengue.
Honasan said on the Dengvaxia controversy, CA members were concerned over the way the DOH and other agencies were conducting their investigations into the deaths attributed to the vaccine by the parents of the deceased.
He said the future CA proceedings will give Duque the opportunity to address concerns of the commission’s members.
“The fact that we suspended means that we want to think about his response to our questions… I’m not prepared to say that the commission was satisfied,” Honasan said.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III warned that claims of possible victims and the government for damages from Sanofi Pasteur could be jeopardized due to the separate investigations being conducted by the Public Attorney’s Office, the DOH and other agencies.
Sotto said Sanofi Pasteur could afford to hire expensive lawyers and the French pharmaceutical firm was experienced in battling similar cases abroad.
Against Duque
Nestor Dizon Jr., a physician who used to serve as a medical health officer of Quezon City, told the CA committee that he was illegally dismissed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which used to be headed by Duque.
Duque sympathized with the plight of Dizon, but explained that whatever decision was handed down by the CSC on his case was made as a collegial body.
He said that the doors of the DOH are always open for Dizon and offered to rectify the situation.
Another one against the secretary’s appointment, Leon Peralta, who identified himself as the founding chairman of the Anti-Trapo Movement, told the CA that Duque was involved in past anomalies regarding the misuse of public funds.
Peralta cited the 2011 case filed by Frank Chavez against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and 10 other officials, including Duque, regarding the alleged illegal diversion of funds of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
He also accused Duque of impropriety for holding concurrent government posts while he was chairman of the CSC.
Duque pointed out the case filed by Chavez was dismissed and that the matter of his holding multiple positions was justified under the Administrative Code.
During the hearing, Duque was also asked about the reported mafia within the DOH as alleged by Francis Cruz, a consultant of former health secretary Paulyn Ubial, whom Duque replaced after being rejected by the CA.
Cruz claimed the mafia, which includes former health secretary Janette Garin, profited from the purchase of the Dengvaxia vaccines, Duque said there was no evidence to support the claims that such a mafia exists within the DOH.
This is the second stint of Duque as health secretary, the first time during the Arroyo administration where he also served as CSC chairman.
Prior to his appointment back to the DOH, Duque was chairman of the Government Service Insurance System.
Duque said he respected the process of the CA and would just await their decision on his confirmation.
“I cannot second guess the CA. Whatever it is that they have picked up from my answers to their manifold questions, let’s respect the time that they need to make the proper decisions,” Duque said.