Press Release
June 22, 2020

LACK OF CONSISTENT, CONTINUOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PLANNING DUE TO SHORT TENURE OF HEALTH SECRETARIES - GORDON

Senator Richard J. Gordon today noted that the short tenure of secretaries has contributed largely to the lack of consistent and continuous planning in the Department of Health.

In an interview, Gordon, who chairs the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations or the Blue Ribbon, said that throughout the history of the DOH, secretaries or ministers have served only for short periods of time, with the maximum usually only up to three years.

"Sa kasaysayan ng DOH bihira ang tumatagal, 'yung iba isang taon lang, ;yung iba tatlong taon. Pinakamahaba na siguro si Dr. Paulino Garcia at si Dr. Clemente Gatmaitan. The rest one year, two years kaya hindi tayo magkaroon ng consistent and continuous planning in the DOH. Palit ng palit," he said.

The Blue Ribbon chairman further said that the department should be tightly monitored since the large budget allocated to health has made it vulnerable to corrupt individuals. Adding that, over the years, health secretaries, who serve at the pleasure of presidents, have become targets of intrigues and subsequently removed if a president is easily swayed by demolition plots against the secretary.

"Maraming gustong makapasok diyan, marami kasing perang nakalaan diyan. Noong araw pa marami ng sindikato, marami ng gumagawa ng paraan diyan para makapag-overprice ng gamot sapagkat napaka-lucrative ng perang nandiyan. Kaya dapat bantayan yan," Gordon said.

"Ang suggestion ko, i-overhaul iyan at kumuha muna ng mag-aaral kung bakit ganyan. Sapagkat kung palit ka ng palit wala talagang continuity, ang mangyayari siraan ng siraan at kung mahina-hina ang pangulo, makikinig sa mga intriga," he added.

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