Black Propaganda Against Cong. Ruffy Biazon

With the few days remaining before elections, black propaganda has certainly become the strategy of choice by some candidates who are desperate to gain a winning margin over others, throwing away decency and honesty in campaigns.

I am the latest victim of this unscrupulous campaign method, with text messages circulating in public attacking me as an author of the Medical Malpractice Bill. The text messages being circulated says, “Ruffy Biazon, is also one of d sponsors of d medical malpractice bill….don’t vote for Biazon. Your friend, Atty. Leo O. Olarte, MD”.

If it is indeed true that the text messages came from Dr. Olarte, then I would like to convey to him that the Medical Malpractice Bill has not been been in my legislative agenda for a long time now, and that this campaign against me is unfounded.

While I must admit that in my previous term I filed a bill entitled Healthcare Liability Bill, I have long abandoned the pursuit of the proposed legislation especially when the groups who were initially lobbying for the bill shifted their efforts to the Patients’ Rights Bill. The official list of bills that I have filed in the present 14th Congress does not include any Medical Malpractice Bill or any other proposed legislation similar to it. It is absolutely not true that I continue to support the bill.

Back in the 12th Congress, I first filed the bill when an organized group of victims of negligence by medical professionals brought their plight to the attention of legislators, considering the absence of a special law on injuries, dismemberment, psychological trauma and even death brought about by the negligence of healthcare professionals. With the objective of opening the discussion on the matter so that it could be determined if a such a law is needed, I filed the bill for consideration of Congress.

But after lengthy and emotional debates on the matter, the interest groups themselves decided not to pursue the bill and instead focus on other proposed measures that would address their concerns. Since the proponents themselves had already abandoned the cause, I saw no need to further push the bill and therefore did not pursue it any more and did not refile it again.

It is in this regard that I denounce this attempt to derail my candidacy by attributing to me something that is not true. I have long dropped the desire to push for the Medical Malpractice Bill and focused my advocacy to the delivery of reliable, affordable and quality health services to the grassroots.

My legislative agenda includes the upgrade of hospitals in the countryside in order to qualify them for accreditation by Philhealth which will make it more affordable to the people. This will require a more determined and focused drive to increase appropriations for the government hospitals in rural areas.

I will work to provide better incentives for our government health professionals to curb the migration of doctors, nurses, medical technologists and other professionals to other countries to the detriment of the Filipino people’s interests.

I also intend to pursue legislation which will upgrade the capabilities of barangay health workers, as well as their compensation in order to increase the quality of health service delivered in the grassroots health centers.

I am hoping that in the campaign for or against any candidate, only the truth is employed. I have always faced squarely any opposition to my candidacy based on issues and will fight for what I believe in. But I will oppose anything thrown against me especially if it is not founded on truth.