DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expressed irritation over House Bill (HB) 5926 that will rename the government-run Davao Medical Center (DMC) to Southern Philippines Medical Center.
During his appearance in Pastor Apollo Quiboloy's show "Give Us this Day" on Wednesday, Duterte said the bill was passed "as if the Congress have nothing better to do."
House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Duterte's political rival, penned the House bill.
The bill is entitled: "An act changing the name of the Davao Medical Center in Davao City to the Southern Philippines Medical Center." It aims to increase the hospital’s bed capacity from 600 to 1,200, upgrade its service facilities and professional health care, authorize the increase of its medical personnel, and appropriate funds therefore.
According to the website of House Speaker's chief-of-staff Karlo Nograles, the bill works for the expansion of DMC, setting aside some P104 million for various projects aimed to uplift medical care and services in Davao City and the rest of Southern Philippines.
Duterte said he does not see renaming the hospital necessary.
"Kagwapo na unta ana paminawon (It sounds so good as it is), Davao Medical Center," Duterte said.
"Mao na ilang ginahimo kung wala silay mabuhat, magsigig panghilabot-hilabot (That's what they do when they have nothing better to do. They keep on interfering)" Duterte said.
Nograles' site said the lawmaker announced plans of purchasing a brand new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, as well as establishing a women and child center for DMC.
Reports, however, said DMC chief of hospital Dr. Leopoldo Vega noted the hospital's bed capacity is 1,500, which is over the bill's provision of only 1,200 bed capacity.