Ex-VP Binay says cutting PGH budget amid pandemic is unjustifiable

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday called out the national government’s decision of cutting the budget of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) despite current necessities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is no way the administration can justify its decision to cut the budget of the [PGH] during a pandemic,” said Binay in a statement.

This came amid a looming P1.3-billion budget cut for the University of the Philippines (UP), which also includes funding for the PGH and the Philippine Genome Center, which is leading the biosurveillance for genome sequencing of COVID-19 variants.

“In the proposed 2022 budget, PGH was allotted P5.67 billion, lower than the P6.87 billion for this year,” Binay said.

“This is part of the huge cuts in the budget of the [UP] totalling P1.3 billion. The PGH is part of the UP System,” he added.

According to Binay, if the decision to cut PGH’s budget is because of the administration’s ideological war against UP, “it is misguided and wrong.”

“It also underscores the disastrous management of the pandemic and misplaced priorities in the 2022 budget,” said Binay.

Binay then noted that the PGH is the main hospital for less-privileged Filipinos, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Congress should not only restore the budget of PGH but increase it,” said the former vice president.

“This will correct an unforgivable act of neglect not only for the value of academic freedom in a democracy but public health during a disastrous pandemic,” he added.

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