PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not ask embattled Health Secretary Francis Duque III to take a leave of absence despite allegations of conflict of interest against him, MalacaƱang said Wednesday, July 31.
"Wala (No)," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a radio interview, when asked if Duterte plans to ask Duque to take a break.
"Kagaya ng sinasabi niya (Duterte), kung sino ang inaakusahan, hayaan nating magkaroon ng imbestigasyon. Pero habang wala pang resulta, the presumption of innocence under the Constitution applies to every person being accused of any wrongdoing," he added.
(Just like what he's saying, conduct an investigation against the accused. But while the results are not yet out, the presumption of innocence under the Constitution applies to every person being accused of any wrongdoing.)
Duque has been under fire after the pharmaceutical firm owned by his family, Doctors Pharmaceuticals Inc. (DPI), was accused of earning millions of pesos from the Department of Health (DOH) for the supply of medicines in public hospitals.
The DPI reportedly bagged two supply contracts, which lasted until October 2017 when Duque was appointed as DOH Secretary for the second time.
Duque, however, said that he had no hand in the contracts from April to October 2017 because he formally took oath as head of the DOH on November 6 the same year.
Duque is also facing plunder and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman, because of his supposedly illegal financial interest in his family firm doing business with the Philippne Health Insurance Corp.
Duterte, who vows to rid the government of corruption in his remaining three years in office, has yet to address the controversies hounding Duque.
Meanwhile, he appointed the Health chief's brother, Social Security Commission member Gonzalo Duque, as the new administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
On Tuesday, July 30, Panelo said the Health Secretary continues to enjoy the trust and confidence of Duterte.
But Panelo also noted on Tuesday that the Office of the President already ordered the conduct of investigation into the alleged conflict-of-interest case involving Duque and his family. (SunStar Philippines)