GUSTONG masiguro ni Konsehal Roger Abaday, chairman sa komite sa games and amusement, ang legalidad sa paggamit sa betting machine system sa mga bulangan dinhi sa syudad ug nahisubay ba kini sa balaod aron dili mapihig ang syudad sa koleksyon sa buhis.
Kini ang gipasabot ni Konsehal Abaday sa mga tigdumala sa bulangan atol sa tigom sa komite niadtong milabayng adlaw ug aron usab iya kining mapasabot ngadto sa mga sakop sa Konseho.
Si Mr. Nilo Sing Sing, tigdumala sa Indahag Square Garden, mibutyag nga gisunod nila ang tanang gabayan nga gisitar sa balaod.
Nunot niini, giduso ni Abaday ang aplikasyon sa machine betting system ngadto sa City Legal Office alang sa dugang pagtoon ug rekomendasyon.
Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez called on the committee on health, chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane, to explore the possibility of including doctors’ professional fees in the hospital billing of indigent patients, with potential coverage from the Department of Health (DOH) or the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
This came after Councilor Malvern Esparcia’s special report, which urged consideration of including professional fees in aid programs for indigent patients, most especially private hospitals.
Councilor Yvy Emano responded by pointing out that the DOH, through its Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), formerly known as the Medical Assistance for Indigency Program (MAIP), can shoulder these fees if doctors agree. However, she noted that not all doctors allow this arrangement.
For her part, Councilor Gaane explained that, unfortunately, professional fees are not currently chargeable to DOH or DSWD due to delays in government payments to doctors, compounded by the fact that doctors are required to pay withholding taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
VM Bebot emphasized the urgency of addressing this concern, noting that indigent patients often cannot be discharged due to unpaid professional fees.
“That is the ongoing problem until now, and hopefully it can be resolved and discussed at your level,” she added.
In a related concern, VM Bebot also urged the committee to review the policies of private hospitals, particularly regarding restrictions on obtaining medicines from hospital pharmacies.
She shared an experience involving a City Hall employee who sought assistance after being asked to purchase medicines outside the hospital despite having supply in the pharmacy.
“Karon lang ko nakadawat og reklamo ngano ang tambal naay deposit. Ngano paliton pa sa gawas, bisan sa tungang gabie, nga naa may tambal sa pharmacy,” she said.
Councilor George Goking also raised the issue of overpriced medicines in hospitals, despite the existence of a suggested retail price (SRP) regulation.
In response, Councilor Gaane assured the council that these matters would be tackled by her committee in the coming days, with the goal of finding solutions to improve healthcare access for indigent patients.
Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez advised the public to exercise caution when using online payment platforms such as GCash for transactions involving delivery service apps.
Her call comes after Councilor Aga Suan’s special report during a recent City Council session on the growing concerns about fraudulent activities targeting users of delivery services.
Suan underscored the scam incidents and called for a thorough investigation into these fraudulent schemes.
In response, VM Bebot shared her personal experience as a victim of fraud, recounting how she was deceived during a delivery transaction.
“I was also a victim of that too. The goods were delivered, and I paid online. However, the payment didn’t reach the delivery person because the account number provided had the same first name but a different last name,” she explained. “You have to be very careful,” she stressed.
Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez then referred the matter to the Committee on Trade and Commerce, chaired by Councilor George Goking, for further investigation and appropriate action.