Charles Teves
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque accused Philhealth on Monday of blaming him for the controversial hike of OFWs premium payments.
“Yung mga taga-PhilHealth, imbes na sagutin ang issue ay ibinaling ang sisi sa akin dahil ako nga ang author ng batas,” Roque told Unang Balita in an interview.
“Wala sa batas ‘yan (increase), nasa IRR (implementing rules and regulations) ‘yan at ang namuno sa IRR ay ang PhilHealth,” he said while showing a screenshot of a conversation by PhilHealth officials allegedly blaming him.
However, on February 19, Roque’s official Facebook page posted a throwback photo of him with the caption “Throwback from last year being acknowledged as the author of the Universal Health Care law.”
Throwback from last year being avknowledged as author of the Universal Health Care law.
Posted by Harry Roque on Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Netizens urged others to screenshot the photo because it might get deleted soon enough.
“RESIBO! BUKING ANG BUTANDING!”
“Screenshot niyo na,mamaya deleted na to
“
“Naku for sure bukas deleted na to!! HAHAHAHA screenshot nyo guys!”
“Ang yabang yabang pa ni Duterte at Roque noong inagaw nila ang credit ng PhilHealth sa mga dilaw. Ngayon nakarma nag backlash, umatras kinain na ni Duterte at Roque tae nila.”
“Oh mga TANGANG De-De-Es, ipakita nyo ang suporta at pagmamahal nyo sa tatay nyo. Mangako kayo na babayaran ang philhealth at hinding hindi magrereklamo kailan man.”
Roque added that Philhealth should look more into the irregularities within the agency, citing the time when President Rodrigo Duterte fired the entire board for alleged corruption. Roque represented the whistleblowers who claimed corruption within Philhealth as well.
“Pero ‘yung tunay na sindikato, ‘yung matataas na opisyal diyan sa PhilHealth, nandiyan pa rin.”
PhilHealth was heavily criticized this past weekend for increasing the contributions of OFWs who earn P10,000 to P60,000 a month. Although suspended, OFWs are now required to pay 3% of their salary, which is a big jump from 2.75% in 2019.
An online petition has since been created on Change.org to have the measure repealed as many OFWs are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OFW group created the petition saying OFWs and their dependents “have been already struggling amidst [the coronavirus] pandemic and yet PhilHealth had issued a very unfair memo regarding premium payments.”
The group thinks that it is “already too much of them to ask for an interest rate and a penalty which is very unfair and inhumane for those who travel away from their families to work.”
“It is very unfortunate that they call OFWs modern heroes and yet they penalize us with such directives,” the petition added.
100 different migrant groups agreed with the petition because the measure “overburdens OFWs who are already troubled by retrenchments and loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession.”
Gabriela UAE, which is one of the hundred groups opposing the measure said OFWs are “still feeling disappointed, even angry, with insufficient government assistance to OFWs affected by the pandemic.”
The group pointed out that some OFWs are on a “no work, no pay” arrangements.
“Many OFWs did not receive the already meager financial assistance of $200 (P10,000) promised by this government. There were simply too many exclusionary provisions set by the government. Worse, OFW families are often denied financial assistance from the government simply because they have a relative working abroad.
“This imposition shows us, once again, that for the Philippine government, OFWs are not living, breathing human beings with needs, rights, and families to support but mere milking cows for government funds.
“Even during this pandemic, the PhilHealth and the Duterte government continue to think of ways to extract money from us OFWs, releasing its memorandum on April 22. We received the news on Labor Day, showing the government’s lack of respect for workers like OFWs.
“It is very unfortunate that they call OFWs modern heroes and yet they penalize us with such directives,” said Gabriela UAE.
President Duterte asked Philhealth to suspend the premium hike.
Roque confirmed this on Monday.
“Habang meron tayong krisis, ang naging desisyon ng Presidente (ay) huwag na muna tayong magpataw ng karagdagang pahirap sa ating mga OFWs, lalong lalo na sa panahon na napakarami sa kanilang nare-repatriate at nawalan ng trabaho.”
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