Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon on DOH budget cut

Question: Budget Sec Diokno said that given slow spending on health facilities, the cut in the proposed budget of the DOH for 2019 would stay.

SFMD: Secretary Duque denies DBM's "slow spending" tag on DOH. Even assuming the tag is true, why does DBM punish the health sector by the alleged inefficiency of the DOH Secretary and his staff? Why not discipline Secretary Duque and the responsible DOH officials for ineffective budget utilization, rather than sacrifice the welfare of the people, especially the poor, who need the services of the DOH?

Question: He also said that the reports that the DOH budget cut would displace health workers were "false."

SFMD: That 15,000 DOH nurses, physicians and health workers will lose their jobs due to the budget cut comes from Sec Duque, not from us. If Sec Diokno claims this is false, is he saying Sec Duque is lying?