Gordon, Hontiveros tell Duque: COA did not 'destroy' DOH

Senators Richard Gordon and Risa Hontiveros told Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday that the Department of Health (DOH) was not “destroyed” by the Commission on Audit (COA) with its 2020 audit report, saying the state auditors are just doing their mandate.

“Hindi dapat tayo nagwawala na winarak sila. Sorry, Secretary Duque, I do not agree with your statement na winarak kayo,” Gordon said during the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation into the “deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of COVID-19 funds.

(We should not be hysterical and claim that we are destroyed. Sorry, Secretary Duque, I do not agree with your statement that you were destroyed.)

Duque is virtually present in the Senate hearing.

Gordon reiterated that the COA is only doing its job and the DOH was given time to respond and reconcile the observations made by the state auditors.

“We are government of laws and we judge based on due process,” Gordon said.

For her part, Hontiveros criticized Duque for saying he is already sleep-deprived due to the COA findings.

“Lahat po tayo dito ay halos walang tulog. Hindi po ito pa-contest kung sinong ahensya ang mas maraming ginagawa o kung sino ang pinakapagod at nakakaawa,” Hontiveros said in her opening statement.

(We are all sleep deprived here. This is not a contest on which agency works the hardest.)

The lawmaker pointed out that this is a matter of accountability and performing ones duty.

“Kung may nawarak man ngayong panahon ng pandemya, ang nawarak ay ang kabuhayan at kinabukasan ng milyun-milyung ordinaryong mamamayan,” Hontiveros said.

(If there's anything destroyed in this pandemic, it's the livelihood and future of millions of ordinary citizens.)

Earlier Wednesday, Gordon said Duque would not have drawn flak if he had answered the COA in a “very dignified manner” during the hearing in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

At a House hearing on Tuesday, Duque turned emotional and said the state auditors have brought down the DOH’s morale.

“Winarak na ninyo kami. Winarak ninyo ang dangal ng DOH. Winarak ninyo ang lahat ng mga kasama dito [You destroyed us, you destroyed the DOH's dignity, you destroyed us all],” he said.

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.

The audit agency earlier flagged the DOH over the supposed deficiencies in its utilization of funds intended for the COVID-19 response.

The deficiencies in the DOH’s utilization of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds led to missed opportunities to improve the country’s healthcare system amid a state of national emergency, COA Supervising Auditor Rhodora Ugay said Tuesday. —KBK, GMA News