Pacquiao ‘punch-drunk’ to claim P10B lost to corruption, says Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said Senator Manny Pacquiao is "punch-drunk" after the latter alleged that P10 billion in government funds were lost to corruption.

"I think he is talking about P10 billion from nowhere... Papayag ba naman ako? Papayag ba kami? Mga secretary ng departamento na ganoon na may mawala na P10 billion?" Duterte said in his weekly address to the nation.

"That is a statement coming from a guy that is punch-drunk, lasing," the president added.

Earlier, Pacquiao claimed that P10.4 billion worth of social amelioration funding was not distributed to beneficiaries.

Department of Social Welfare and Development director Irene Dumlao, in an interview on Unang Balita on Monday, denied Pacquiao's allegation and urged the senator to show proof

Meanwhile, 13 cases of possible corruption in the DSWD and the Department of Health are being investigated by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, its chairperson Greco Belgica said.

Pacquiao made the accusation against DSWD and DOH after Duterte dared him to back up his claim that corruption worsened under his administration.

Las week, Duterte also raised Pacquiao's multi-billion-peso tax woes during a meeting of the PDP-Laban party. Duterte said the boxing champion had been assessed to have a P2.2-billion tax liability.—LDF, GMA News