‘Unfair’ says embattled DOH chief on COA report

EMBATTLED HEALTH Sec. Francisco Duque continues to defend himself against widespread criticisms following a preliminary report by the Commission on Audit (COA) which flagged over P67 billion Covid-19 funds of the Department of Health (DOH).

Duque also criticized the COA during a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing, saying: “Winarat nito kami, winarat niyo ang dangal ng DOH...hindi kami makaharap sa mga tao...wala pa rin akong tulog, ilang gabi na po ito. This is unfair, unjust that this judgment been handed down, clearly without giving the DOH the full 60 days within which we should have given our rejoinder. Masakit po talaga sa amin ito... nagkakasakit na mga tao ko, nag-isolate, nag-quarantine, may namatay na. Por Diyos por santo maawa naman kayo.”

But Senator Grace Poe asked after reading COA’s report on the DOH’s long list of deficiencies during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing: “Shouldn’t Sec. Duque be suspended by now if you’re going to apply the same judgment as what happened to the PhilHealth executives?”

Poe pointed out that Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the preventive suspension of eight PhilHealth executives and five DOH officials last year for various offenses related to the use of people's money during the pandemic. “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,” she said.

In the COA report, a total of P11.89 billion of funds remained unobligated on top of the P42.1 billion that was transferred to partner agencies without a memorandum of agreement. “Ito po ay hindi lamang kapabayaan, ito po ay kriminal,” Poe said.

Senator Leila de Lima urged Congress to investigate the findings of the COA on the DOH which she said is “very concerning” and to ensure that those responsible be held accountable.

She also filed Senate Resolution filed on August 17 underscoring the need to look into the COA’ findings to address recurrent issues that plagued DOH’s services, as well as the persistent lapses that give rise to wastage even amidst times of scarcity and shortage.

“The lack of prudence and diligence on the part of the DOH should not be tolerated. Its failure to judiciously and meticulously plan and respond to the health needs of the country is unacceptable and warrants a thorough investigation to determine who are responsible,” she said.

According to De Lima, the COA report on the DOH revealed that of the total appropriation of approximately ₱205.621 billion (pursuant to Republic Act No. 11465 or the General Appropriations Act for FY 2020) and of the total allotments received amounting to ₱200.855 billion, the DOH has unreleased appropriation, unobligated allotment, and unpaid obligation amounting to ₱4.765 billion, ₱24.641 billion and ₱34. 496 billion, respectively.

De Lima noted that the same report likewise “exposed a very palpable repetition of what has already been previously pointed out by COA's findings in 2019.”

Notably, the state auditors again divulged that drugs, medicines, and other types of inventories with a total value of ₱95,675,058.98 were nearly expired or have expired due to “deficient procurement planning, poor distribution and monitoring systems, and identified weaknesses in internal controls.”

“This is not the first time that the DOH has been flagged by COA for its over-procurement and poor distribution of medicine,” De Lima said, adding in July 2019, COA also said the DOH had P18.449 billion worth of medicine purchased from 2015 to 2018 yet to be distributed to government hospitals, health centers and other government treatment facilities.

She said the continued and persistent problems on the part of DOH that COA has reported undeniably shows its systemic failure to comply with relevant laws and rules. “The DOH's deliberate inaction on, and non-compliance with COA's recommendations also reveal lack of concern and gross negligence. The fact that in the thick of waging a war against Covid-19 there are unused funds from 2020 means the DOH lacks a sense of urgency with the rising deaths and infections,” De Lima said.

“Namamatay ang ating mga frontliner nang walang nakukuhang sapat na benepisyo, gaya na lamang ni Maria Theresa Cruz, isang nurse sa Cainta (Rizal province) na namatay noong nakaraang taon dahil sa COVID-19, na di man lang natanggap ang katiting na P60 kada araw na hazard pay. Tapos mababalitaan natin ang ganitong kapabayaan at kawalang malasakit na bilyon-bilyong pondo ang hindi masinop na ginastos?” De Lima said.

De Lima maintained that the over-procurement and poor distribution of medicines and other medical supplies is a systemic problem within the DOH that has long crippled the health system thereby affecting the lives and safety of Filipinos. “The DOH cannot justify these occurrences to lockdowns and other health protocols, to which any responsive government agency should have already adjusted and adapted,” she said.

In October last year, De Lima also filed Senate Resolution No. 539 directing the appropriate Senate committee to look into the COA report showing ₱2.2 billion worth of expired or overstocked drugs, medicines, and other supplies in the inventory of the DOH. (Cebu Examiner)