Probe into missing P7.3 million COVID benefits for front-liners sought

MANILA, Philippines — A health workers’ union has demanded an investigation into the reported disappearance of P7.3 million in health emergency allowances (HEA) meant for medical front-liners in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are calling [on] the local government unit of Sagay to immediately look for funding and urgently provide the [HEA] for [the city’s] health workers,” Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) secretary general Cristy Donguines said in a statement on Tuesday.

The AHW also called for a “thorough and immediate” investigation, not only in Sagay City but in all private and local government hospitals as well, saying the incident could also be happening elsewhere.

READ: Emergency allowance of healthcare workers now 90% paid, says DOH

According to the group, this may be one of the reasons why many of their colleagues have complained about not receiving their COVID-19 benefits despite the claim of the Department of Health (DOH) that 90 percent of HEAs have already been paid out.

The Commission on Audit (COA) on Tuesday ordered Sagay City treasurer Juvy Pinongan to liquidate the P22 million in HEAs for the city’s 276 eligible healthcare workers within 30 days or face criminal charges, according to city administrator Ryan Bonghanoy.

Pinongan initially distributed P22 million from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22 but failed to release the remaining P7.3 million.

Empty vault

When she was confronted by Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. in September, Pinongan said she forgot the combination of the vault where the money was being kept.

But COA representatives who opened the vault on Oct. 4 found it empty.

Javelosa said the Sagay City Legal Office was preparing an affidavit complaint against Pinongan with the Bureau of Local Government Finance in connection with the missing P7.3 million.

In September, the DOH said that out of a total of P103.5 billion in emergency allowances for health workers who served during the pandemic from 2021 to 2023, P92.6 billion, or almost 90 percent, have been paid out.

It explained that the delays were due to the failure of some health facilities to comply with documentary requirements before the allowances could be disbursed.

According to the DOH, it has issued checks to 2,070 health facilities, or 73 percent of the total 2,853 facilities still awaiting payment.

The remaining 27 percent was supposedly delayed because of incomplete documentary requirements.