MANILA, Philippines — A House lawmaker is planning to file an ethics complaint against Rep. Wilbert Lee for attempting to defer the Health department's plenary debates for the second time in what was described as an “unparliamentary” manner.
Rep. Angelica Natasha Co (BHW Partylist) said on Wednesday, October 2, that Lee’s (AGRI Partylist) behavior during the last day of House budget deliberations was “unparliamentary, crude, rude and detestable.”
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The Committee on Ethics should conduct a formal inquiry into Lee’s actions, she said in a statement.
Co also requested the Committee on Rules and the Minority Caucus to take appropriate disciplinary action against Lee.
While she left it to the committees to decide on the penalties, she called for the cancellation of Lee’s foreign travel authority in the coming months.
Asked for an update on the ethics complaint during her party-list’s filing of candidacy on October 3, Co said that she has yet to wait for the decision of other budget sponsors involved.
She said, however, that “what happened was not appropriate,” demanding a public apology from Lee.
Maligning reputations. Co also mentioned that she spoke with Lee to clarify that she has no authority to “railroad” the DOH’s budget, requesting that his supporters or “evil legions” stop spreading misinformation claiming the budget sponsors are fast-tracking the budget.
At the same time, Co alleged that Lee had done this to “gain popularity,” saying that he is “a fake health advocate.”
What did Lee do?
The plenary discussion on the Department of Health’s (DOH) proposed 2025 budget was deferred on September 23 because lawmakers were unsatisfied with the agency’s plans.
Lee specifically criticized the DOH for lacking a concrete, time-bound plan to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses and enhance PhilHealth’s benefit packages, deeming the effort insufficient.
On September 25, the last day of budget deliberations, Lee interrupted Rep. Paul Daza’s (Northern Samar, 1st District) motion to terminate the DOH’s budget deliberations by snatching the mic away from him.
Majority Leader Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo, 1st District), however, quickly joined Daza in terminating the agency’s plenary debates. Lee only managed to say in Filipino, “Is that how we handle things here?”
In a statement, Lee said that he doesn’t understand why the budget sponsors of DOH, including Co, did not allow him to interpellate again when he only wanted to “put into record” the agreements made with the agency and PhilHealth.
Lee had already spent 30 minutes on his interpellation during the initial budget deliberations for the DOH and its attached agencies on September 23.
Garin explained in a statement that the House no longer had enough time to deliberate further on the agency’s budget because lawmakers were scheduled to approve the 2025 General Appropriations Bill on September 25.
Co believes that Lee’s justification is “insincere,” a “lame excuse” and a “disrespect” to the House of Representatives.
PhilHealth and DOH’s commitment
PhilHealth CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. committed to increase benefit payments to P250 billion next year to lower out-of-pocket costs, a 78.6% increase from the initial plan of 140 billion.
The state insurer also promised to expand coverage for prescription glasses and implement a 50% increase in benefit packages across the board — meaning the increase will apply uniformly to all beneficiaries — by November 2024.
By Dec. 31, 2024, PET scans, MRIs and CT scans will be covered for outpatient diagnostic tests, PhilHealth said.
It added that at least 80% coverage for cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and procedures for heart diseases, will also be implemented.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa pledged to submit the agency's timeline for reducing out-of-pocket hospitalization costs by October 31.
Herbosa also stated in the signed commitment that the DOH will ensure that special medical services, such as breast cancer treatments, are accredited by PhilHealth and available in DOH hospitals by March 31, 2025.
Co is seeking reelection in the House of Representatives as a party-list representative, while Lee is running for senator in the 2025 midterm elections.