Duque Fails to Mute Mic: 'Nagulo Na Yung Utak Ko'

“Nagulo na yung utak ko,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III could be heard saying in a live streamed Senate hearing on August 18. 

Unfortunately for Duque, the comment was heard by the chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, Senator Dick Gordon, who quickly pounced on the secretary. 

“Marami kayong psychiatrists diyan sa DOH, pagamot ka muna sa psychiatrist diyan sa DOH. [Dito sa Senado], meron kami dito mga psycho-social support. I know it's very stressful to work in the government, so please make sure that you get it done,” said Gordon. 

(“You have plenty of psychiatrists there in the DOH, have yourself looked at. Here in the Senate, we have psycho-social support.”)

Duque and other officials of the Department of Health (DOH) were attending the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on the alleged “deficiencies” in the DOH's management of its P67 billion pandemic budget. The Health Department was previously flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) for those “deficiencies.”

Gordon reminded Duque that it is his obligation to be accountable to the public, and part of that accountability in the budget is part of that responsibility. 

Prior to the hearing, Duque dismissed the COA’s report and said the spendings of the DOH are all accounted for. 

The COA earlier questioned the DOH’s plan to purchase four laptops worth P700,000, prompting the health department to suspend its acquisition. 

Below is a trimmed video edited by the Inquirer showing Duque and Gordon’s comments during the hearing. 

Video: Duque Fails to Mute, Gordon Tells Him to See a Psychiatrist