(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said that he still has no reason to fire Health Secretary Francisco Duque III amid the clamor for him to do so, saying that he has not found “prima facie” evidence against the health department chief regarding corruption.
In his address to the nation on Monday night, Oct. 5, Duterte said that he still trusts Duque and believes he is an “innocent man” after reading the files on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) investigation.
“I have read the findings and for the life of me I cannot really find a good reason to prosecute an innocent man. Mine is to not really prosecute just for the sake of being somebody being prosecuted. My job is to see to it that the rule of law — the rules for or against a person — are followed,” the President said.
Duterte said that there has been suggestions for him to fire Duque immediately since he is an alleged liability in his administration, but he said he would not go for this even if there is a popular clamor against Duque.
“Secretary Duque is a hard-working government worker and they say that… Well, there has been a lot of things I have heard, I have read na — and even some advice na si — dapat daw si Duque, ikaw sir, ilaglag ko na because hindi maganda sa aking administration,” President Duterte said in his address.
-Evidence first-
But he said that he is not one of those who would opt to be on the safe side, since he is a lawyer, and he analyzes the evidence first.
“You know, may mga tao na puwedeng ganun. You go for the safe side. And there are a lot of people who do it ‘yang gusto na lang nila na mawalaan na ng problema. Ah basta na lang, ‘O sige, paalisin mo na lang sabihin mo.’ Ako po’y hindi ganun. Ako’y abugado and I know what is probable cause and prima facie,” the President explained.
“These are two phrases that are important before you can file a case in court. Problem is, I have reviewed — hindi naman ‘yung — a cursory reading really — and I have yet to find ‘yung sabi nila na idedemanda si Duque dahil may kasalanan,” he added.
The President also assured the public that he would not tolerate corruption.
As to the Philhealth anomalies, he said that the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is already with the Ombudsman, and there is already a recommendation to file this in court.
“So dito ho kayo makinig sa akin. Ah sabi ko wala naman akong obligation na magsasabi ng sinungaling. Kung maniwala kayo, mabuti.
Kung hindi, that is not my problem. That is what is happening in the nation,” Duterte said.
“So ganun ho ang nangyayari sa atin. And we are here to report especially about the money. Tandaan ninyo, disabuse your mind about corruption in government. I must admit and it would be stupid of me to invent lies na talagang nangyari ‘yung sa PhilHealth. And that is why the NBI after an investigation submitted their findings to the Ombudsman and recommended prosecution in court,” he said.
“Nandoon ‘yon. Pero I said to disabuse your mind there are two prominent issues in the forefront today. Coming to its head really ‘yung sa PhilHealth, which is really the culprit at ‘yon ang pinag-usapan at ‘yon ang pinagdebatehan ngayon. Iniimbestiga, hinuhusga,” he added.
(Eagle News Service)
