Drilon urges Marcos to prioritize healthcare system, economy, education, rule of law

Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday identified four "most pressing issues" that President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. should include in his "to-do list."

In a statement, the lawmaker said the next administration should immediately address the inadequate healthcare system, a pandemic-battered economy, a failing education system, and the weak rule of law.

“President-elect Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. should capitalize on the so-called ‘honeymoon period’ and exercise political will in the first 100 days of his presidency to address these four urgent issues that remain unresolved and define his legislative priorities,” Drilon said.

“First and foremost, the issue of health. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weakness and inadequacy of our healthcare system. We lack hospitals. Our health information system is inefficient. We do not provide sufficient protection and benefits to our healthcare professionals both in the public and private sectors,” he added.

Drilon, who held Cabinet positions during the administrations of Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, said the government must present "long-term solutions" such as more hospitals, strengthening of the Universal Health Care program, and the appointment of the "right people" in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the country's main health insurance agency.

“We must not repeat the mistakes of the past,” he said, citing, for instance, the corruption and overpricing controversies that hounded PhilHealth," he said.

"The country’s weak healthcare system coupled by the mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic put the country in a dire situation," he added.

He also mentioned the poor state of the education system in the Philippines, which was "made even worse by the pandemic."

Following a report released by the World Bank which showed that nine out of 10 kids aged 10 in the country cannot read, Drilon said that the government must craft a roadmap as its effect would be long-term if the problems facing the educational system are not addressed immediately.

“This should worry the next administration. I cannot imagine a future with 9 out of 10 Filipino children who cannot read,” Drilon said.

He then mentioned the ratification of the bicameral report that seeks to establish the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which will be tasked with undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the education system.

“There should be a joint executive-legislative educational commission, because the solution requires both the action of the executive and the legislative,” Drilon said.

Drilon also stressed the need for a strong economic team that will lead the country's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The key here is the economic managers. The President-elect must choose a strong and cohesive economic team that shares a common vision. His team must be able to formulate fiscal policies that will put the economy on a path to recovery,” Drilon said.

“We need not just the best minds but team players. The next economic team must be able to work with the legislative in terms of legislation,” he noted.

According to Drilon, the economy is in a "very difficult situation" as the national government's debt hit P12.68 trillion as of March.

"We continuously incur a huge budget deficit because of our inefficient tax collection that is made even worse by the pandemic. Our COVID-19 war chest is dwindling, yet, the pandemic is still within our midst,” Drilon said.

“As I said before, the next president should brace for the heavy impact of the oil crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, high budget deficit, and ballooning debt,” he added.

Drilon also called on the incoming Marcos administration to restore people's confidence in the rule of law and justice system in the country, which, he said, was greatly affected by the outgoing administration's drug war that "killed thousands of Filipinos in the past six years."

"The rise in the number of extra-judicial killings, including lawyers and journalists, as well as red tagging incidence are symptoms of a weak rule of law," the senator said.

Citing the Rule of Law Index of the World Justice Project (WJP) in 2020, Drilon noted that the country’s ranking slipped to its worst since 2010.

The country ranked 102nd among 139 countries in terms of adherence to the rule of law.

At a press conference earlier in the day, Marcos said outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte had asked him to continue the war on drugs and told him to "do it your own way."

Marcos also said he has tapped Fred Pascual, Manuel "Manny" Bonoan, central bank governor Benjamin Diokno, and Felipe Medalla to lead the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Finance, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, respectively.

Earlier, Marcos named Vice President-elect Sara Duterte to the Department of Education; former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos Jr. to the Department of the Interior and Local Government; Cavite Representative Crispin Remulla to the Department of Justice; Arsenio Balisacan to the National Economic and Development Authority; Bienvenido Laguesma to the Department of Labor and Employment; and Susan Ople to the newly created Department of Migrant Workers. 

Marcos will assume the presidency at noon on June 30. —VBL, GMA News