THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan wants Malacañang Palace to order the investigation of the seemingly anomalous determination of recipients as well as distribution of the first round of the Special Risk Allowance and hazard pay to health workers deployed in Pangasinan during the current pandemic.

The resolution proposed by Second District Board Member Von Mark Mendoza noted that officials of the Department of Health Center for Health Development 1 repeatedly ignored the invitation of the SP to explain what method was adopted in the determination of eligible recipients as well as the distribution of the SRA.

The Question Hour scheduled by the SP on August 9 had to be cancelled again because DOH-CHD 1 Regional Director Valeriano Lopez Jr. again failed to appear for the third time with the alibi that he had to be in Ilocos Norte to look into increasing Delta variant cases in that province.

Dejected, Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario supported the suggestion of Board Member Mendoza for the passage of a strong resolution asking the Office of the President to investigate the suspected anomaly in the determination of would-be recipients of the SRA as well as distribution of the same, together with the hazard pay.

Rosario said would be legitimate beneficiaries claim the hazard pay scheduled for Pangasinan went to the wrong people.

He said the guideline from the national IATF and the Department of Budget and Management for the distribution had loopholes and may have exploited by some DOH officials.

Last July, the representative sent by Director Lopez to the Question Hour said DOH-CHD 1 merely received and evaluated the list of health care workers entitled to the SRA as well as the hazard pay submitted by local government units through their respective mayors.

The SP asked Director Lopez to come during the Question Hour because his representative from the Human Resources Office of the DOH-CHD 1 regional office is not competent enough to answer questions about the SRA and hazard pay for healthcare care workers.

Rosario said a number of claimants are supposed to have these amounts but did not receive what was due them adding that the SRA and hazard pay had already been downloaded to the DOH-CHD 1 some months back and health care personnel in other provinces have already received their SRA and hazard pay while others in Pangasinan had not.

Vice Governor Mark Lambino said since the SP cannot get straight answers from the DOH-CHD 1 regional director, it might as well go directly to the Office of the President through Secretary Francisco Duque so that the issue can be resolved. (Leonardo Micua)

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