Senate performing its oversight duty on COVID-19 funds –lawmakers

The Senate has been responsible in exercising its oversight function, several senators said Tuesday after President Rodrigo Duterte implored them to create committees they deemed best suited to monitor for any irregularity in the spending of COVID-19 response funds.

"Oversight is an inherent function of the Congress and we have not been remiss in the exercise of the same even without prodding from the President," Senator Panfilo Lacson said in a message to reporters.

"That was exactly what we did when we constituted ourselves into a committee of the whole which exposed blatant misuse of PhilHealth funds," he added.

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan shared the same view and pointed out that the Senate had also been able to expose alleged overpricing of COVID-19 testing machines, testing kits, and personal protective equipment in previous hearings.

"What we are waiting for is for the President to do his job by firing [Health Secretary Francisco] Duque and filing charges against those involved in the P15 billion PhilHealth mess and the overpriced PPEs, testing machines and kits," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon likewise expects charges to be filed against those who pocketed public funds amid the COVID-19 situation as Duterte vowed to devote his two remaining years in office to go after corrupt PhilHealth officials.

"The President should make an example of PhilHealth: jail those who misused public funds through the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism and other schemes," he said.

Duterte earlier urged Congress to check how the executive branch utilized the funds appropriated for the pandemic response as he vowed to hold himself responsible for the money spent.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it was a good move and claimed that Duterte was the "first President to do that."

Government agencies must publish their expenses for COVID-19 to promote transparency, according to Duterte.

But Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the "goods and services delivered to the people" should also be published, not just the expenses, as he pointed out that "spent" is such a broad term.

"This delivery receipt is the most important. Puwede kasi i-report na nakabili na ng bigas, pero kung ito ay hindi pa naipamahagi sa taong bayan, o binubukbok lang sa warehouse, ano ang pakinabang ng mamamayan dito?" he said.

The Congress recently ratified the second Bayanihan bill which appropriates P165.5 billion for COVID-19 response and economic recovery efforts.

Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Sen. Sonny Angara said the bill required the President to submit a monthly report to Congress and the Commission on Audit. — DVM, GMA News