Kiko sees corruption, Joel disheartened by DOH spending deficiencies

Senators Francis Pangilinan and Joel Villanueva on Wednesday criticized the Department of Health after state auditors flagged deficiencies in the use of public funds for the government’s COVID-19 response.

“They are simply confirming what we, in the Senate, have been saying all along. That incompetence and corruption in the [COVID-19] response has led to our being the worst performer in the western-pacific region,” Pangilinan said in a text message to reporters.

Villanueva, on the other hand, said that “problematic spending” is one of the DOH’s “comorbidities.”

”I think DOH should make critical personnel hires in the field of procurement and supply chain management. For the pandemic to be defeated, or any public health challenge for that matter, logistics play an important role,” he said in a Viber message to reporters.

Villanueva said the “most disheartening” deficiency enumerated by the Commission on Audit (COA) was the delay in the procurement of mechanical ventilators, which he said, should have fallen under expedited acquisition.

“When procurement is choked by inefficiencies, a  COVID patient struggling to breathe dies down the line. Umaasa po tayong mayroong catch up plan ngayong taong 2021 at madeliver na rin ang mga ventilators at X-ray machines,” he said.

[We are hoping that there is a catch up plan this 2021 to have these ventilators and x-ray machines delivered.]

In its 2020 annual audit report, the COA has flagged several deficiencies on DOH’s use of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds.

The state auditors said the deficiencies were mainly caused by non-compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, through the DOH Administration and Financial Management Team, agreed to implement most of COA’s recommendations specified under the 2020 annual audit report. —NB, GMA News