(Eagle News)–Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday, July 29, slammed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III over his family’s alleged dealings with the government worth millions of pesos.
In a privilege speech, Lacson cited Doctors Pharmaceuticals Inc., which he said had cornered contracts for medicine supplies.
“Mr. President, is it just a mere coincidence that Doctors Pharmaceuticals, Inc. became an accredited government contractor and supplier in the same year that Secretary Duque was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments as Secretary of Health during the Arroyo administration in 2005?” Lacson said.
Lacson noted that government officials should avoid any instance of impropriety, and Duque was no exception.
According to Lacson, “is it not incumbent upon Secretary Duque to exercise professionalism and ethical standards by stopping all dealings of his family’s corporation with the very government agency that he heads?”
Duque, however, has denied the allegations.
According to Duque, he had already divested himself from the company since 2006.
Earlier, Lacson said Duque’s family-owned Educational and Medical Development Corporation had a lease contract with PhilHealth for a building in Dagupan even if Duque was ex-officio chair of PhilHealth.
Duque has said he has already divested himself from EMDC.
Only recently, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Duque’s brother, Gonzalo, as head of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
