‘Septic tanks’ and all Another co-terminus

Cabinet official of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte whose term ends this June 30 is set to return to school. Like what President Duterte is embarking on after exit from the government, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III plans to teach and manage their family-owned university.

The outgoing Health Secretary assuaged though the smooth transition into office of the next Health Secretary whom incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong’’ Marcos Jr. will soon appoint. A number of names of “potential” nominees as Health Secretary cropped up. Duque declined though to speculate who would officially be nominated except saying: “They’re all good. I know all of them. I think they’re all qualified, have quite a track record of public service.”

Many of the names being pushed to be the new Health Secretary have notably included personalities who figured extensively in public discussions to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in our country. As Health Secretary, Duque worked with some of them as the co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) that he steered following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in our country in March 2020.

Speaking in our weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual news forum last Wednesday, Duque disclosed he will teach and help “internationalize” the Lyceum-Northwestern University after his latest stint at the DOH. Located in Pangasinan, the Duque family-owned university has over 1,000 student-enrollees. Queried about his retirement plans, Duque retorted: “No, I’m going to work still, but in the private sector. I’m going to go back to the family-owned university in Dagupan City.”

Stepping down from public office and retiring from politics by the end of this month, President Duterte earlier announced plans to teach law at the police academy. Duque’s fellow Cabinet official, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua wants to study again in order, to quote him: “to stay relevant.”

In Duque’s situation, he used to teach before at the College of Medicine at their University. The 64-year old doctor plans to add to their University’s Medicine curriculum the module of Universal Health Care (UHC). In this way, he cited, the future doctors will have better appreciation of the aspirations of the UHC Law. Under Republic Act 11223, the UHC Law mandated the automatic membership in the Philippine Health Corp. (PhilHealth) of all Filipino citizens entitled to the medical and hospital benefits, including comprehensive outpatient services.

The PhilHealth, one of the attached agencies of the DOH, ironically has become one of the major headaches to Duque at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As DOH Secretary and concurrent co-chairman of the IATF, Duque became the figurehead of the many criticisms and scandals against the Duterte administration’s handling of the anti-COVID campaign. Duque could not hide his extreme frustration and disappointment on many allegations of irregularities, and other accusations that were heaped upon him.

“Many things were thrown against me, not just the (proverbial) ‘kitchen sink’ but also the septic tanks as well,” Duque quipped in obvious exasperation.

Duque bewailed in particular to the report and the recommendations of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to hold him accountable for the questioned P11-billion DOH procurement contract awarded to Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Inc. during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In his Committee Report, Sen. Richard Gordon held Duque equally responsible along with President Duterte for their supposed failure to check the irregularities such as the alleged overpricing by Pharmally on the personal protective equipment (PPEs) procured for the DOH.

However, Gordon’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Report did not pass muster when it got less than the required number of Senators to sign up for its approval in the floor. Non-signing Senators disagreed with Gordon’s inclusion of President Duterte among the government officials recommended for prosecution along with top Pharmally executives.

While the 18th Congress already adjourned sine die without final action on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report, Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, however, advised Duque to get very good lawyers. Although already out of the government, Drilon pointed out, it does not exculpate Duque et.al. who were dragged into the alleged irregularities that went into the Pharmally contract on the possible graft case and other legal actions that might be filed in courts against them.

In response, Duque reiterated his readiness to get the best legal minds to answer before the proper forum any legal action he may face. He maintains, however, having followed the strictest rules of the Commission on Audit (COA) in all the procurement and other official transactions that the DOH entered into during his watch.

Yesterday, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III expressed support to reported plans to revive the investigation on the Pharmally case when the 19th Congress officially opens next month. An erstwhile political ally and partymate of President Duterte but is now counting himself with the opposition bloc, Pimentel did not discount the possibility of reviving the Senate investigation into the Pharmally case once any Senator re-files a bill seeking to re-open inquiry into it.

Duque though puts on a semblance of being unperturbed. After all, he cited, President Duterte “stood by him,” especially while being under fire all over the places. Duque noted the President’s unwavering trust and confidence to him while other Cabinet officials got fired for corruption.

Despite the “septic tanks” and all other things thrown at him, Duque consoles self with the “wall of immunity” achieved by the ramped up vaccination in the Philippine campaign to contain the pandemic. Duque wishes the next administration to keep the required wearing of facemasks given the still evolving COVID-19 variants.