Local Roundup: • 89 village chiefs sacked over SAP • 17 more quarantine facilities open

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended 89 punong barangays or village chiefs across the country for six months over anomalies involving the implementation of the first tranche of the social amelioration program.

In a press release issued on Saturday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the municipal or city mayors of these village chiefs to immediately implement the Ombudsman’s order and his regional and field officers to ensure the implementation of the mass suspension.

"I hope this suspension will serve as warning to other local officials. Corruption has no place in our government especially during pandemic," he said.

Año thanked Ombudsman Samuel Martires for immediately acting on the complaints filed by his department against the officials, saying it would serve as a warning to all local government units that any wrong-doing will not be tolerated by his department.

17 more quarantine facilities

At least 17 more quarantine facilities will be opened next week to accommodate more COVID-19 patients, the Department of Public Works and Highways said Sunday.

The department’s Build Build Build Committee head Anna Mae Lamentillo told Dobol B sa News TV that the new facilities would be available when needed.

“By next week we will have 17 new quarantine facilities. We plan to build more depending on the need. We don’t want them to be lacking,” Lamentillo said.

All provinces now have quarantine facilities where COVID-19 patients may stay until they recover.

Swab test refunds

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said Sunday the members of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. who have paid for their COVID-19 swab test should be entitled to a refund.

She says members who are classified as eligible for testing based on the guidelines issued by the Department of Health could avail themselves of PhilHealth’s testing benefit package worth up to P3,409.

“There is a PhilHealth circular that allows members who are eligible for testing to file reimbursement claims for COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test. But unfortunately, the public is not fully aware of this benefit,” Herrera said.

“I urge all qualified PhilHealth members who have personally paid for their COVID-19 tests to directly file their reimbursement claims with PhilHealth.”

Shuttle services required

Companies whose total assets are above P100 million and are inside the special economic zones and other areas under the jurisdiction of investment promotion agencies are required to provide shuttle services to their employees, according to officials.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez made the statement over the weekend, adding those companies must also set up isolation areas and implement disinfection procedures.

They said the provision of shuttle services was consistent with Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution 69 dated Sept. 7, 2020.