MANILA, Philippines — Some House members hit the Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday for failing to distribute to hospitals 370 respirators donated by some firms in the tobacco industry, leaving them instead unused in a warehouse. These respirators could have saved lives,” Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez told the House Committee on Good Government. “It is sad that the DOH prioritized the advocacy of foreigners at the expense of the lives of Filipino people,” Nograles said. “The DOH did not perform its function because they are really against the tobacco industry,” Rodriguez said. With no record authorizing Duque to sign the JMC, Nograles said the circular was “void ab initio” – that is, void from the start.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 09, 2021 17:03 UTC