Anti-corruption task force yet to receive complaints vs. DOH’s COVID-19 spending

The government’s anti-corruption task force has yet to receive complaints about supposed irregularities in the Department of Health’s spending of funds for COVID-19 response, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.

“Except for complaints relating to Dengvaxia and PhilHealth, the TFAC (Task Force Against Corruption) has not received so far any other complaints against the DOH, particularly in connection with anti-COVID-19 pandemic expenditures,” Guevarra told reporters.

Guevarra’s statement came a day after Senator Manny Pacquiao dared Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to provide an accounting of funds for the pandemic response.

Pacquiao dropped Duque’s name after President Rodrigo Duterte challenged his political ally to name government offices that would show corruption under the current administration was “three times” worse than before.

Responding to Pacquiao’s challenge, Duque said on Tuesday his department would be ready for any investigation on allegations of corruption.

“While we are disheartened by these baseless accusations from our government officials, we submit ourselves to inquiries from legislators as this is a part of the checks and balances in our government," Duque said.

Guevarra said the Department of Justice-led task force submitted its midyear report to Duterte on June 9.

The Justice chief said the TFAC had received at least 220 complaints of alleged corrupt activities in government, 210 of which “had been acted upon quietly.”

Fifteen complaints each were endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation for further investigation or case build-up.

The rest were referred to other relevant government agencies for the conduct of administrative investigation.

“The agencies/units with the most number of complaints were various LGUs (local government units, followed closely by the DPWH. Many of the complaints were about anomalous transactions perpetrated jointly by these LGUs and district engineering offices,” Guevarra said.

“Other agencies with large numbers of complaints were the LRA (Land Registration Authority), DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), and the BOC (Bureau of Customs). Various GOCCs (government-owned and controlled corporations) were the subject of numerous complaints, too.”

Duterte ordered the DOJ last October to lead the investigation into corruption in the entire government. — RSJ, GMA News