AMID allegations of conflict of interest, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said on Tuesday, July 30.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said a presidential investigation into the government contracts awarded to a pharmaceutical company owned by Duque's family "is being or will be undertaken" to determine possible conflict of interest.
"As far as I know, the President still trusts the Secretary of Health, Duque. He has responded to the questions of the issue of propriety. So if there are complaint[s] against him, the investigation is being or will be undertaken," Panelo told Palace reporters in an interview.
"And until such time that there is no finding, a definitive finding of any act, which is in violation of the law, Secretary of Health still has the trust and confidence of the President," he added.
The Health chief was embroiled in controversy, following the claim of Senator Panfilo Lacson that Doctors Pharmaceuticals Inc. (DPI), a company owned by the Duque family, allegedly earned millions of pesos from the Department of Health (DOH) for the supply of medicines in public hospitals.
Lacson noted that the two supply contracts bagged by the DPI lasted until October 2017 when Duque was appointed as DOH Secretary for the second time.
Duque, however, said he has nothing to do with the contracts from April to October 2017 because he assumed office just on November 6 the same year.
As a "standard operating procedure (SOP)," Duterte has already ordered the conduct of investigation into the alleged conflict-of-interest case involving Duque and his family, the Palace official said.
"Any allegation against any member of the Cabinet or against any officials of the government of corruption or conflict of interest or any act illegal is always a serious concern of the Office of the President," Panelo said.
"The SOP is any complaint, as the President says, that reaches his table will always be a subject of a serious investigation by the Office of the President. If the investigation shows that there has been a violation then the President will know what to do," he added.
Despite the controversy hounding Duque, Duterte has appointed the DOH chief's brother, Social Security Commission member Gonzalo Duque, as the new adminsitrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
The new PCA chief took his oath of office on Monday, July 29. (SunStar Philippines)