Duque pinasususpinde sa ‘mismanaged’ COVID-19 funds

MANILA, Philippines – Nais ni Senator Grace Poe na masuspinde si Health Secretary Francisco Duque III matapos maiulat ang kakulangan sa paggamit ng pondo ng Department of Health para sa pandemya.

“It was just last year when Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the preventive suspension of eight PhilHealth executives and five DOH officials for various offenses related to the use of people’s money during the pandemic,” sinabi ni Poe sa pagdinig sa Senado ukol sa naantalang benepisyo ng mga health worker.

“When asked whether this probe would affect the morale of the Health department during the pandemic, the Ombudsman refused to budge and instead raised the question for us, ‘Are we not, as a people, also suffering from low morale?’” lahad ng senador.

“The fact that we can’t even go out of our homes—are we happy with what is happening? Are the medical frontliners happy with what is happening to them? Somebody must be held accountable.”

Batay sa ulat ng Commission on Audit, hindi nagamit ng DOH ang P11.89 bilyong pondo para sa COVID-19.

“Shouldn’t Sec. Duque be suspended by now if you’re going to apply the same judgment as what happened to the PhilHealth executives? It’s very simple, Mr. Chair. P11.89 billion of unobligated allotment for hazard pay and special risk allowance is unaccounted for, unobligated,” giit ni Poe.

“Ito po ay hindi lamang kapabayaan. Sabi nga ng isa, ito po ay criminal.”

Sa isang pagdinig nitong Martes, sinabi ni Duque na ikinasira ng dangal ng kagawaran ang ulat ng COA.

“Winarak ninyo kami, eh. Winarak na ninyo ang dangal ng DOH,” ani Duque. RNT/ELM