Malacañang claimed on Thursday (August 12) that President Rodrigo Duterte “is withholding judgement” until the Department of Health (DOH) comments on the issue of the P67 ($1.33) billion deficiencies in COVID-19 funds.
“Ngayon, premature pa po ah. Sasagot pa lang po ang DOH. Hintayin natin ang sagot. (For now, it’s still premature. The DOH still has to answer. Let’s wait for that),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
“The president is keen to read the answers dahil medyo mabigat po ang mga obserbasyon (because these are heavy allegations).”
Roque also said that the president protects “no sacred cows.” “Ang presidente po, walang sinasanto. (The president spares no one.) There are no sacred cows in this administration,” he said in a press briefing.
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said his office will wait for the full audit reports on the health department’s COVID-19 fund spending as Commission on Audit (COA) recommendations can be settled by the beleaguered agency.
According to COA, the DOH’s mishandling of funding resulted in “missed opportunities” to curb the pandemic. The state auditors added that some of the agency’s purchases lacked sufficient documentation, had “doubtful” liquidations, had no legal basis, along with other flaws.
On Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that his organization was prepared to prove that taxpayer funds were used appropriately.
“The P67.3 billion is accounted for. Wala pong kinurakot, inilaan natin ang mga pondong ito para sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.
(There is no corruption, all these funds were allocated for our countrymen.)
Netizens recalled that Duterte had previously rejected calls to fire Duque over his alleged management of the public health crisis.
Ana Catalina Paje is a development journalist passionate about grassroots communication geared towards genuine social change. She also writes about showbiz, lifestyle, and all things Pinoy pride. The views expressed are her own.
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