“If they really have evidence of corruption against me, let them file the case. Judge me not by certain acts, but by my overall performance in 28 years of public service and the values I stand for.”
Naging mainit ang pag harap ni DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial sa Commission on Appointment. Mabibigat ang mga binitawang paratang ni Congressman Harry Roque laban kay Sec. Ubial na dahilan upang i-bypass siya ng Commission. Kinapanayam ko si Secretary Paulyn Ubial sa aking pang-10 na umagang Programa sa Radyo, sa DZRJ.
Rey: Kamusta na po kayo after the Hearing?
Sec. Ubial: We have to move on our work continuous. I am now in Cebu to attend the aids candlelight memorial and I’m going to Tandag for a turnover of hospital beds and equipment with congressman Pichay.
VERY DAMAGING
Sinimulan ko na siyang tanungin kung paaano niya tinangap ang pagkaka-bypass ng Commission on Appointment at inisa isa ang mga akusasyon ni Cong. Roque laban sa kanya.
Ayon sa kanyang paliwanag ang mga accusations daw sa kanya ay very damaging, bagamat kaya naman daw niyang sagutin at tugunan ang mga ito.
Pag aandaan daw niya ang sususnod na hearing upang “point by point” ay masagot ang mga inaakusa sa kanya.
Rey: Bakit hindi ninyo sinagot ang mga akusasyon mismo sa nakalipas na hearing?
Sec. Ubial: I cannot make all the rebuttal and explanations because it was not given to me beforehand this issues that were raised. Wala po tayong dalang documentation and I was afraid that whatever I will say during that time which might be from my memory, from recall might be taken against me. So I did not give specifics, I will be answering point by point the issues raised against me.
PERSISTENT LYING TO CONGRESS?
Rey: Isa sa mga na-raise secretary ay hinggil sa three billion worth ng vaccines. Ano po recollection niyo doon?
Sec. Ubial: Ah yes, yung three billion worth of dengue vaccines that was procured during the time of Sec. Garin and in fact that was a subject of congressional inquiry on the haze by which the vaccine procurement was made. And it’s really one of our more expensive vaccines in the ETI program.
Kinapanayam ko rin si Congressman Harry Roque sa aking Radio Program sa DZRJ 810khz, upang malaman niya ang tugon ni Secretary Ubial at kung papaano siya mag rereact sa mga sagot ni Sec. Ubial.
Cong Roque: “Sinungaling talaga ang babaeng yan, matagal nang tapos ang hearing sa house committee, at doon ko nga nalaman na may anomalyang nangyari.”
Naitanong ko rin yon kay Sec. Ubial kung mayroon ngang anomalyang nangyari sa pagkakabili ng Dengue Vaccines, at ganito niya sinagot ito.
Sec. Ubial: I mentioned in the congressional hearing whether it’s an anomaly, illegal, I cannot actually make that decision I leave that to the house committee, to the COA and Ombudsman. What I mentioned as red flag are the unusual haze in which the process was undertaken procurement of the vaccine.
ANSWER ON ALLEGED CORRUPTION
Ang mga specific na mga terms na ginamit ni Cong. Harry Roque sa CA ay incompetence, persistent lying to congress, wastage of government resources at corruption. Ganito naman ang tugon ni Secretary Ubial sa aking ginawang pakikipanayam sa kanya.
Sec. Ubial: Well I will answer them point by point and of course I stand by my, what I’ve been fighting for in the department of health which is integrity, honesty, and anti-corruption position that it’s very easy to label people. But what are the facts if I indeed let’s say, did something corrupt, why doesn’t he file it with the office of the ombudsman? Why does COA doesn’t have any delegatory findings against the department of health on the issues they raised? So madaling magsabi na maglagay ng label “incompetent” o why doesn’t he complain it to the appointing authority to the service commission. Porket yung aking mga rating in my performance were outstanding o saan po yung incompetence doon? Madali po magsalita pero to prove what you said is really the matter. Can you prove it?
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COUNTRY IS ZIKA FREE
Rey: Ano naman ang controversy sa zika virus issue?
Sec. Ubial: Yung zika virus po, i think the real issue there I said that the country is zika free at that point in time that was the information given to me, now yung sinasabi ko during the press conference there was no positive cases for that year but there were already suspects and specimens already at ritm and because it took a matter of days before the results and confirmation from ritm so yun po yung naging difference nung find log and statements made by myself and Asec Tayag and Usec Bayugo but the press release conducted by my Asec and Usec was upon my instruction so I knew about that and I instructed them to give the latest update it was about three or four days after I made the statement the country is zika free.
Rey: Was there an attempt Secretary na yung three billion na yan na intended sa dengue vaccine ay mailipat sa pneumonia vaccine?
Sec. Ubial: Ay hindi po totoo yun. Hindi po nilipat yung budget ng dengue vaccine to pneumonia vaccine. Nabili po lahat ng dengue. Whether I stop the program or not, nandon na po yung vaccines.
DISAPPROVED 101 BY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Rey: What about po dun sa hinggil sa mga employees na na-hire then disapproved ng civil service commission?
Sec. Ubial: Yung pong nangyari sa Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center yung 101 na dineny ng Civil Service Commission (CSC) is actually an appointment that was signed by the OIC which she should have signed because she is an OIC that was disapproved. I was the one who actually corrected the actions and deep down my control rehired the 101 disapproved by the civil service commission. Ngayon mayroon din pong dalawa or tatlong item dun sa eastern visayas which I actually signed this is just two or three appointments that was questioned by some employees and they made the protest so it’s now under investigation by the civil service commission pero hindi pa po disapproved yun kasi naka-motion for consideration but it’s not one hundred and one.
CONDOM ISSUE
Tinanong din natin kay Secretary Paulyn Ubial ang hingil sa condom distribution program ng DOH, na marami ang bumatiskos sa kanya dahil sa wrong target ng community raw ito.
Sec. Ubial: Yes, that’s part of the six medium terms in the phil. Development plan that was actually presented to the pnac in December and approved by the PNAC or Philippine national aid council. So ayan po ay isang estratehiya na naka-outline sa ating strategic plan and sabi ko nga, how we operationalized that strategic plan that was still dependent on our collaboration and discussion with all the vital agencies or involved agencies so when we discuss with DepEd about providing condoms to high school students who are already sexually active.
Rey: Mura pa ang isip ng mga bata, wala pang malay at isa pa, ipapasa sa mga teacher ang resposibilidad?
Sec. Ubial: They actually refuse to implement the program kasi sabi nila mahirap na bigyan natin ng ganoong responsibility ang mga teachers and they are not trained to do that, so we agree with DepEd that we will continue the program, sa kanila ung education and awareness, yung provision ng commodities like condoms will based on human health unit or sa health center. So ganon po ang naging agreement doon.
THE PHILHEALTH CONTROVERSY
Rey: Ano naman ang issue sa Philhealth at kinailangang may paimbistigahan sa NBI at may kasuhang personnel ng Philhealth.
Sec. Ubial: Ay yes, this fraud, anomalous and unscrupulous practices came out only now, as chair of Philhealth, when I assume, I had the political will to file this cases submitted to the nbi for investigation and submitted to the ombudsman. Then we revised the processes in Philhealth, ung stop payment order, tinanggal ko iyon, and then was a court resolution not to involve that. Yung tinatawag ni congressman roque na pangingikil ay tinigil ko po during my time. It was going on before my time, so lahat po ng sinabi niya actually was unearthed and bring out during my time because i stop on that. I stop the fraud; I stop the pangingikil in Philhealth. It’s a glowing policy in Philhealth. So, mas marami na ngayong na-involve din na mag-complain na lumabas ang kanilang mga nalalaman because we have now whistleblowing policy.
Rey: Ilang personnel ng Philhealth ang sumabit po dito sa fraud cases and anomalous activities na ifinile ninyo?
Sec. Ubial: Marami ho yon, the files was sent to the ombudsman. I can’t give you the details.
Samantala sa kabilang banda, ayon naman kay Congressman Roque sa interview ko sa kanya, itong mga employees na ito rin ng Phil-health ang nagharap nang complain at nag demanda laban kay Sec. Ubial sa Ombudsman.
FEARLESS FORECAST
Sa ngayon ay wala pang makapag sabi kung ano talaga ang kahihinatnan ng appointment ni Sec. Paulyn Ubial sa Commission on Appointment (CA). Marahil panahon lang ang makapag sasabi kung ang kanyang “Point by Point” na magiging tugon sa mga akusasyon ni Cong Harry Roque ay magiging katangap tangap o hindi sa CA.
Subaybayan ang mga susunod na mga pangyayari.