Palace verifying figures of health workers ill from COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday said it is verifying figures that only under 20 health workers were severely ill from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said it was a “bit difficult” to believe that only under 20 health workers are eligible to receive the P100,000 benefit under the Bayanihan to Heal as One-Act.

“Right now, they have identified under 20 persons to have received the P100,000 benefit,” Roque said in an interview over ANC.

“I’d like to verify how many actually should be entitled because maybe it’s a bit difficult to believe that only about 20 people, frontliners became critically ill of COVID-19,” he added.

Under the Bayanihan law, health workers who become severely ill in the line of duty will get a compensation of P100,000, while the family of those who died of COVID-19 in the line of duty will get P1 million.

All 19 health workers who contracted COVID-19 had received their P100,000 checks, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Thirty of 32 families of the medical workers who died of COVID-19 had also received their P1 million checks. DOH said it is still coordinating with the other two’s families who are abroad.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier set a June 9 deadline for the release of compensation for virus-hit health workers.

/MUF