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DOH chief Duque still enjoys Duterte trust, despite P67-billion flagged funds: Palace

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gives an update to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on August 16, 2021. Joey Dalumpines, Presidential Photo" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/08/17/20210816-duterte-monday-iatf-ho-16.jpg"/><figcaption>Health Secretary Francisco Duque III gives an update to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on August 16, 2021. <em>Joey Dalumpines, Presidential Photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, whose agency faces questions on its management of some P67 billion in COVID-19 funds, continues to enjoy the &quot;full trust and confidence&quot; of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said on Tuesday. <br/> <br/>&quot;All Cabinet members serve at the pleasure of the President,&quot; said Palace spokesman Harry Roque. </p><p>&quot;And Secretary Duque, according to the President last night, continues to have his full trust and confidence,&quot; he said in a press briefing.</p><p>The Commission on Audit flagged &quot;deficiencies&quot; in the use of funds that led to &quot;missed opportunities&quot; to fight the pandemic. Auditors said some of the agency&#x27;s purchases lacked documentation, had &quot;doubtful&quot; liquidations, had no legal basis, and other deficiencies.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/11/21/coa-spots-deficiencies-in-handling-of-p67-b-covid-funds">COA flags &#x27;deficiencies&#x27; in DOH management of P67-B COVID funds</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Alam ko gusto mo nang mag-resign, pero alam mo rin na tatanggihan kita ngayon,&quot; Duterte told Duque in a taped meeting on Monday. </p><p>(I know you want to resign, but you know that I will refuse you.) <br/> <br/>&quot;Noon you have attempted to resign twice. I expect you to say something to me after this, mag-resign ka. Sabihin ko sa iyo, hindi. Wala ka namang ginawang masama. Bakit ka mag-resign?&quot; the President continued. </p><p>(You have attempted to resign twice before. I expect you to say something to me after this, that you&#x27;ll resign. I tell you, no. You did nothing wrong. Why will you resign?) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/16/21/philhealth-only-delayed-in-covid-claim-reimbursements">PhilHealth only delayed in COVID-19 claim reimbursements, says official</a></li></ul><p>(You have attempted to resign twice before. I expect you to say something to me after this, that you&#x27;ll resign. I tell you, no. You did nothing wrong. Why will you resign?) </p><p>The President previously rejected calls for the firing of the Health chief over his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the P15-billion corruption allegation against medical state insurer PhilHealth, whose board is chaired by Duque. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/13/21/coa-clarifies-report-after-doh-audit-backlash">COA clarifies after DOH audit backlash: &#x27;We did not say money lost on corruption&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/16/21/doh-halts-purchase-of-laptops-worth-p700000">After backlash, DOH halts procurement of laptops worth P700,000</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/14/21/doh-no-corruption-in-p67-b-coa-flagged-funds">DOH: No corruption in handling P67 billion in COA-flagged COVID-19 funds</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1749837" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><em>Video courtesy of PTV/RTVM</em></div>

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III continues to enjoy the 'full trust and confidence' of ?President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said on Tuesday. 

DOH chief Duque still enjoys Duterte trust, despite P67-billion flagged funds: Palace

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DOH chief Duque still enjoys Duterte trust, despite P67-billion flagged funds: Palace

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 17, 2021 03:42 PM PHT

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