Duque: DOH ready to submit budget utilization report to Pacquiao

Published June 30, 2021 01:52 PM By JULIA MARI ORNEDO, GMA News

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday said the Department of Health (DOH) is ready to submit a budget utilization report to Senator Manny Pacquiao within the day following the lawmaker’s corruption allegations against the agency.

In separate interviews with GMA newscast Balitanghali and Super Radyo dzBB, Duque said the DOH is ready to cooperate with any investigation into accusations of corruption.

“In fact, may report na nga ako na ready ibigay kay Senator Pacquiao before the end of the day para mapakita sa kanya na bukas ang pinto namin, we are transparent, we are accountable. ‘Yun ang cornerstone ng governance ng DOH,” he said.

(In fact, I have a report ready to be submitted to Senator Pacquiao before the end of the day to show him that our door is open, we are transparent, we are accountable. That is the cornerstone of the DOH’s governance.)

“Handang handa kami. Wala naman akong problema do’n dahil nakalagay naman sa batas, ‘The DOH will submit the regular budget utilization report.’ So magpapadala lang ako ng kopya ng ipinadadala namin sa Office of the President, sa Kongreso,” he added.

(We are very ready. I don’t have any issues with that because the law states that ‘The DOH will submit the regular budget utilization report.’ So I will just send him a copy of what we submit to the Office of the President, to the Congress.)

In his word war with President Rodrigo Duterte, Pacquiao said he was prepared to prove his claims of corruption within the government by starting with a probe into the pandemic expenses of the DOH.

Duque later said he was “disheartened” by Pacquiao’s allegations

, stressing that the DOH has "always been transparent and cooperative to auditing efforts within the government.”

Duque also pointed out that Pacquiao was absent and did not ask questions when the DOH attended a hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole earlier in June.

“Walong oras kami doon e wala naman ni isang tanong na galing sa kanya at hindi rin siya nakasama doon sa meeting na ‘yun. Kung meron siyang paratang na gano’n kabigat, iisipin mo dapat nagtanong siya,” he said.

(We were there for eight hours but there was not a single question from him and he wasn’t at that meeting either. If he has accusations of that gravity, you would think he would ask questions.)

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. also questioned on Wednesday why Pacquiao did not raise questions for the DOH during the Senate hearing.

The health chief also clarified that the DOH does not purchase rapid test kits for COVID-19, contrary to Pacquiao’s claim, as the agency only buys the “gold standard” RT-PCR test kits.

Duque also reiterated that none of the funds for vaccine loans passed through the DOH as these went straight to the manufacturers.

“Nagtataka nga ako bakit nagkagano’n. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang naging batayan niya (Pacquiao) pero gano’n pa man, sasagutin namin,” he said.

(I wonder how this happened. I don’t know where Pacquiao based his allegations but nevertheless, we are prepared to answer.) -MDM, GMA News

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