AUG
25
2020

Not just spending reports, Duterte must order agencies to tally help people got

President Duterte should order government agencies to add the most important column in their monthly publication of funds spent, and that is for “goods and services delivered to the people.”  “Spent” is a broad term, and is often used to disguise delays in the delivery of
AUG
25
2020

A presidential TRO against an unconstitutional idea

The President has spoken. It should be read as a cease-and-desist order in big, bold letters by those pushing for this dangerous experiment.  The call of the hour is not for rev gov, but government to rev up its response to the pandemic. A rev gov is not a vaccine against
AUG
19
2020

Removing the barrier to common sense

The barrier to common sense has finally been lifted. No IATF rule triggered the greatest resistance and launched the most jokes. And the fact that they stonewalled for a long time and stubbornly defended it, despite evidence to the contrary, inflicted damage on their reputation.
AUG
17
2020

With 100 billion pages of modules to print, cash-strapped schools need P30B—Recto

The postponement of K-12 classes should give the Department of Education (DepEd) “breathing space” to print self-learning modules (SLM) for 21.5 million public school students, which Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said “could be around 100 billion pages.”  “My
AUG
17
2020

Hazard pay urged for private janitors, guards, maintenance men in public hospitals

They stand shoulder to shoulder with medical staff in public hospitals, but because of their status as private service providers, janitors and security guards are not entitled to hazard and hardship pay despite facing the same health risks.  Taking up the cudgels for them,
AUG
13
2020

COVID test reimbursement is PhilHealth’s “new speed test”

How fast it can reimburse hospitals for COVID-19 screening is the “new speed test” that PhilHealth should pass to debunk mounting complaints that it had been slow in paying frontline facilities.  This challenge was hurled by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto at
AUG
12
2020

Rx to PhilHealth: Post IRM releases in website, “which can be done without pricey IT software”

How to make Interim Reimbursement Mechanism (IRM) releases transparent and open to scrutiny? Post them in the PhilHealth website, which requires no expensive IT software to do. Enumerate the basic data: amount, date of release, recipient institutions and their facility capacity,
AUG
12
2020

With only 16 COA men deployed, “having more auditors is a vaccine vs corruption” PhilHealth needs

After admitting that it has only 16 auditors deployed at PhilHealth, Sen. Ralph Recto expects the Commission on Audit “to hang up ‘help wanted’ signs” to recruit accountants who will beef up the “COA detachment” in the embattled state health insurer.  “Kahit one auditor
AUG
08
2020

‘Big COA detachment, resident Ombudsman, oppo board rep, stronger internal affairs, clip pres’l discretion’

Whoever are fired or hired, these must be done: 1) More than special audit, PhilHealth requires constant audit. I doubt if COA auditors in that agency number more than 25. Too small for a P140-billion-a-year agency, which transacts 35,000 claims a day from 8,500 hospitals and