DOH ready to face any probe on COA-flagged ₱67-B COVID funds
The Department of Health (DOH) said it is ready to face any investigation on the supposed “deficiencies” in the agency's handling of the ₱67-billion fund for coronavirus disease (COVID19) response that was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its report.
“We are open to all types of investigation. Hindi po kami aatras diyan (We will not back down),” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a televised public briefing on Saturday, August 14.
Vergeire maintained that the DOH has “always been transparent.”
“Lahat ng pera na naibigay sa atin para gastusin para sa pandemyang ito are well accounted for (All money that was given to us to spend on this pandemic are well accounted for),” said Vergeire.
The DOH spokesperson said that COA has given them until September to submit the necessary documents to address the alleged “deficiencies.”
“These are all procedural actually,” said Vergeire.
“Meron mga units [sa] DOH na hindi pa nakakapagkumpleto nitong mga requirements na documents. So atin pong dino-double ang efforts para makuha na po natin lahat ito (There are still some units [in] the DOH that have yet to complete the required documents. So we are doubling our efforts so that we can get it all),” she added.
Vergeire also maintained that the DOH is not involved in any corrupt activities.
“Gusto ko lang sabihin sa ating mga kababayan na sana po yung panghuhusga gawin natin pag kumpleto na po lahat ng ating nakikitang mga ebidensya (I just want to tell our citizens that we should all make the judgment when all the evidence are complete),” she said.
“Ang ating pong Kagawaran ng Kalusugan ay patuloy na nagbibigay ng outmost na trabaho para po sa ating mga kababayan at pagdating sa kaperahan, hinding-hindi po kami gumagawa ng korapsyon (The Department of Health continues to provide the utmost work for our citizens and when it comes to funds, we never commit corruption),” she added.
The COA “report itself does not mention any findings by the auditors of funds lost to corruption.”
“As there are recommendations for compliance by the DOH, the audit process for the deficiencies pointed out has not been completed. Hence, it is premature at this stage to make conclusions on the findings in the Consolidated Annual Audit Report,” added COA.