Filtered By: Topstories
News

Duque says COA ‘destroyed’ DOH, chairman says due process followed


The Commission on Audit's report which found deficiencies in the Department of Health's use of its P67.3-billion COVID-19 response fund brought down the agency's morale, Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Tuesday.

In a congressional hearing on the COA report, Duque said health officials had been “sleepless” since the COA released its annual report, which found various deficiencies in its DOH’s utilization of COVID-19 funds.

“I think COA should also consider that we are not operating under normal circumstances. We’re operating under a state of public health emergency,” Duque said in a congressional hearing.

“Winarak na ninyo kami. Winarak ninyo ang dangal ng DOH. Winarak ninyo ang lahat ng mga kasama dito,” he added.

[You destroyed us. You destroyed the honor of the DOH. You destroyed all my colleagues here.]

Duque called the COA report “unfair” and accused state auditors of handing down judgment without giving the DOH enough time to submit its rejoinder and act on recommendations.

“Masakit po talaga sa amin ito dahil kami po ang pangunahing ahenysa na humaharap, tumutugon sa panahon na ito… Por Diyos, por santo, maawa naman kayo. Kayo nga ang pumunta rito at kayo ang gumawa,” he said.

[This is really painful for us because we are the foremost agency responding during this time. By God, by saints, have some mercy. You should go here and do our work.]

‘Due process followed’

COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo made clear that there was "a lot of due process" that was followed in making audit reports, including several meetings with the concerned agency and an exit conference.

“So it’s not correct at all to say na walang [that there is no] due process,” Aguinaldo said. “It’s not correct to say na hindi sila pinakinggan and all [that they were not heard and all].”

Aguinaldo said COA didn't release adverse audit findings to the media.

COA’s annual audit reports are made available on its website.

Aguinaldo said there was no pressure on the COA to issue the clarification in the media that it mentioned no corruption in its audit report on the DOH.

"I can assure the public that statement was not pressured. It was really our assessment... it was getting out of hand so we should at least clarify it," Aguinaldo said. —NB, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT