Neophyte Senator Bong Go, instead of defining his legislative agenda, which is usually the subject of a maiden privilege speech, squandered his chance of citing the causes he will promote and defend during his term by personally attacking me for being critical of the Malasakit Centers even as he refused to be interpellated. 

Go’s ballistic reaction was unprovoked because I did not even mention his name when I asked the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during its budget briefing to provide the legal basis for its funding the Malasakit Centers and for PCSO to investigate their effectiveness. 

Paucity of merit and reason cannot be concealed by unparliamentary language and malevolent innuendoes. 

Go is the “poster boy” of the Malasakit Centers, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had to order the Department of Health (DOH) to remove his campaign posters which littered the centers. 

I have received complaints from Albayanos that there are times when the representatives of the participating agencies like the PCSO, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and DOH are absent in the Malasakit Centers allegedly because of lack of personnel. 

Contrary to the repeated pronouncements of Go that the Malasakit Centers are “one-stop shops” for post-confinement financial assistance, they are mere outlets for referral to the main local offices of the participating agencies where the beneficiaries have to just the same queue in long lines because the representatives in the centers do not have the authority nor discretion to make assessments either for partial or full payment of hospital bill balances. 

The allegations against me by Go are completely unfounded and contrived. 

I have always been a pro-poor legislator long before the advent of the Malasakit Centers and my legislative performance and accomplishments speak of my advocacies for the disadvantaged and marginalized. 

I have never required indigent patients to go to my house to get referrals for financial assistance because ever since they invariably approach my staff in my congressional and district offices. 

I always talk sense and my statements are well studied and anchored on facts.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN