Isiniwalat ni dating Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco Duque III na si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang nag-utos na mag-transfer ng P47.6 bilyon mula sa DOH patungo sa Procurement Service ng Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) para sa procurement ng Covid-19 supplies noong 2020.
Inihayag ito ni Duque nitong Lunes, Hunyo 3, sa pandinig ng House Committee on Appropriations.
Romina, patuloy na kumikilos patungong Southern Kalayaan Islands
Sinusuri ng panel, sa ilalim ng senior vice-chairperson ni Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, ang budget performance ng DOH at ng Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Sa naturang hearing, itinanong ni Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro si Duque kung ano ang rason ng naturang transfer.
“Sinasabi sa atin ni Secretary Duque sa utos ni dating presidente Duterte ay nagkaroon ng ganito na transfer ng P47.6 billion, tama po ba?" tanong ni Castro.
Sagot ni Duque, "Publicly this was made by the President in our meetings in the weekly meeting or Talk to the People.”
Pagbibigay-linaw ni Castro, “So clear po ‘yan, P47.6 billion to be transferred to PS-DBM, publicly announced by the former President Duterte na ma-transfer ‘yan.”
Kamakailan, ipinag-utos ng Office of the Ombudsman ang paghahain ng graft charges laban kina Duque at dating DBM Undersecretary Christopher Lao dahil sa umano’y “irregular transfer” ng DOH funds sa PS-DBM para sa procurement ng Covid-19 supplies.
Napag-alaman din ng anti-graft body na sina Duque at Lao ay “guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the service.”
