MANILA – Despite new allegations linking him to the supposed anomalies in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III will not be fired yet.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a television interview yesterday that Duque remains in his post as he still enjoys the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“He does because if he has ceased to have trust and confidence, then Secretary Duque would no longer be in office,” Roque said in an interview with CNN Philippines. “All Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President.”
Roque also explained that even if Duterte had promised before that he will not tolerate even just a “whiff” of corruption among his cabinet members, Duque has a right to due process.
“President Duterte’s creation of a task force that is investigating the corruption allegations hounding PhilHealth is an example that he is serious in his campaign against corruption,” he said.
Duque was accused by former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith during Tuesday’s Senate hearing of approving the appointments of the officials belonging to the so-called “mafia” in PhilHealth. Duque has denied this.
The Health chief also denied the allegation that the enrollment of five million Filipinos to PhilHealth during his tenure as the agency’s president was used to boost the candidacy of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo against popular opposition standard bearer Fernando Poe Jr. in the 2004 national elections./PN
