Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 18) – Senators on Wednesday called out Health Secretary Francisco Duque for his rant against the Commission on Audit, saying state auditors are just doing their mandate.
In a Senate inquiry, Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon defended COA, noting that the commission gave the Department of Health enough time to respond to its findings.
“Hindi natin dapat sunugin yung messenger ng COA. Alam ko merong 30 to 60 days para magawan ng paraan yung mga discrepancies o kakulangan ng Department of Health,” Gordon said.
[Translation: Do not shoot the messenger of COA. I know the Department of Health was given 30 to 60 days to address the discrepancies.]
“Kaya hindi tayo dapat nagwawala na winarak sila. Sorry Sec. Duque, I do not agree with your statement na winarak kayo. Ginawa ng COA ang tungkulin nila at kayo may pagkakataon na sumagot,” Gordon added.
[Translation: That’s why we should not throw a fit and say we were destroyed. Sorry, Sec. Duque, I do not agree with your statement that you were destroyed. COA just did its job and you have a chance to respond.]
The embattled secretary on Tuesday claimed state auditors have “destroyed” the image of the DOH over what he described as a premature release of a report stating “deficiencies” in the department’s handling of pandemic funds worth ₱67.3 billion.
Duque said he and other Health officials have lost sleep over the matter.
But for Senator Risa Hontiveros, it’s all about accountability.
“Kung may nawarak man ngayong panahon ng pandemya, ang nawarak ay kabuhayan at kinabukasan ng milyon-milyong ordinaryong mamayan,” she said.
[Translation: If something was destroyed during this pandemic, it’s the livelihood and future of millions of ordinary people.]
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said COA is important “for good governance.”
“We are not here to tear the DOH down. We are here to help the DOH. We are here to guide them, particularly this coming budget season, on how we can spend the money efficiently, effectively…Itong mga COA reports (These COA reports), allow them to use as a tool or a guide on how we can improve our agency,” he said.
Suspension?
Senator Grace Poe said she believes Duque should have already been suspended over the alleged misuse of pandemic funds.
“Shouldn’t Secretary Duque be suspended by now if we’re going to apply the same judgment as what happened to the PhilHealth executives?” she argued.
Poe was referring to last year’s suspension of several Philippine Health Insurance Corporation officers over alleged corruption in the agency.
“It’s very simple, ₱11.89 billion of unobligated allotment for hazard pay and special risk allowance. Ito ay hindi lamang kapabayaan, sabi nga ng isa, ito po ay kriminal (It’s not just a case of negligence, as one said, it’s criminal),” she added.
COA also flagged in its report an unutilized amount of ₱11.89 billion, which was supposed to cover the hazard pay and special risk allowances of healthcare workers amid the pandemic.
Despite calls for the secretary to step down over corruption allegations hounding the DOH, President Rodrigo Duterte said he will not let Duque resign.
