Duque: Duterte ordered P47.6-B Covid-19 fund transfer in 2020

Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte directed the transfer of PHP47.6 billion from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of Covid-19 supplies in 2020.

Duque made this statement during the House Committee on Appropriations’ oversight hearing on the budget performance of the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

“Publicly this was made by the President in our meetings in the weekly meeting or talk to the people,” Duque replied when ACT Teachers Party-list Rep.

France Castro asked him to confirm Duterte’s role in the transfer of fund.

The Office of the Ombudsman has recently ordered the filing of graft charges against Duque and former DBM Undersecretary Christopher Lao over what was regarded as an “irregular transfer” of DOH funds to PS-DBM for the procurement of Covid-19 supplies.

The anti-graft body also found Duque and Lao guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the service.

During the House hearing presided over by panel vice chair and Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin further inquired about the official instructions behind the fund transfer.

“So, I think Hon. Castro, the answer of Secretary Duque was in a public address of the President, of the former President. ‘Yun naman medyo nagugulat ako (I’m quite surprised), Madam Chair, because officially there are actually official notices or instructions,” Garin, also former DOH secretary, said.

Duque said it was within his authority as DOH secretary to effect the fund transfer “because of the public health emergency where there were not enough CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment), PPEs (personal protective equipment), and other Covid pandemic supplies.”

He, however, clarified that he did not unilaterally decide to transfer PHP47.6 billion to PS-DBM.

“I’m just complying with the rules of the PS-DBM. Again, I do not want to belabor the laws that authorize the PS-DBM to procure in a state of public health emergency materials,” he said.

Duque also said the decision was based on recommendations from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which he also headed.

“But I would like to reiterate that it is within my authority to effect the transfer because of the public health emergency where there were not enough CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment), PPEs (personal protective equipment), and other Covid pandemic supplies,” Duque added.

Earlier in the hearing, Garin grilled Duque over the Duterte government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, claiming it has further burdened the people.

She pointed out the exorbitant cost of Covid-19 testing, which PhilHealth initially set at PHP8,150, was in contrast to the PHP2,000 to PHP2,500 recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Garin has questioned the lack of accountability for the borrowed funds.

“So the point here is the pandemic became an opportunity para lalong maghirap ang tao (to make people suffer more),” she said.