Ombudsman summons documents on COVID

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the Departments of Health (DOH) and of Budget and Management (DBM) to submit documents related to the budget for its response to the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 pandemic.

In the subpoenas issued yesterday, the anti-graft office asked for documents related to the Special Allotment Request Order concerning the budget ordered by President Duterte to be released to the families of deceased medical frontliners and all other funds allotted for COVID-19 response.

The move is part of the ombudsman’s ongoing investigation on Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other DOH officials over alleged anomalies surrounding the agency’s handling of the pandemic, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said over CNN Philippines.

Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado told The STAR that his department is ready to comply with the order.

“Yes, because that is an order and we are not hiding anything. All concerned must comply and cooperate and help in shedding light on the matter,” Avisado said in a text message.

Martires explained that the budget documents would aid the investigating teams in finding out if there were irregularities or delays in the distribution of assistance to the medical frontliners and the fund’s actual status.

“We want to find out where the money was spent, how long did it take the DOH to release financial assistance to the families of the deceased frontliners and to frontliners afflicted with the virus. We also want to find out the actual status of the fund, where is the fund right now?” he said in Filipino.

Also to be investigated were the DOH’s alleged delayed procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical gear necessary in the operation of healthcare workers, and other supposed “lapses and irregularities” that led to the death or infection of several frontliners, including doctors.

Additional subpoenas will be issued to the DOH and to government regional and provincial hospitals on the various procurements they made also in connection with their COVID-19 response.

“Right now, I am not looking into what kind of charges we will file against them. What I am looking at is who are the persons responsible for this. What are the anomalies, if any, that were committed... We just want to know first the truth,” Martires noted.

He added that the anti-graft office intends to finish the investigation in less than a year and it is only after this that his office could decide if there is probable cause to file charges in court.

Earlier, he revealed that his office created two teams to conduct a joint fact-finding investigation on Duque and other DOH officials, including assistant secretaries, undersecretaries and regional directors regarding the alleged “irregularities and anomalies” in the agency’s COVID-19 response.

Investigators will look into the DOH’s supposed inaction in the processing and release of financial assistance and other benefits for the fallen and infected medical frontliners and the alleged “confusing and delayed” reporting of COVID-related deaths and confirmed cases.

This is on top of the ombudsman’s ongoing investigation since March on the DOH’s purchase of alleged overpriced COVID-19 testing kits as well as the supposed intentional delays in the use of more affordable, locally made testing kits developed by the University of the Philippines.

Resign

Meanwhile, senators renewed their call for Duque to leave his post out of delicadeza as Senate President Vicente Sotto III expressed exasperation over the secretary’s refusal to resign despite the mounting complaints over his handling of the pandemic.

“I’m tired of giving comments (about) Secretary Duque because it merely falls on deaf ears,” Sotto told reporters.

He said while it is Duque’s decision to step down or not, “he should save the President from any predicament or responsibility in his tenure.”

Sen. Francis Pangilinan lamented that President Duterte continues to protect Duque.

“I see the need for him to resign,” Pangilinan said.

He said there has been a clamor for Duque to step down after the disappointing and slow response of the government to the COVID-19 crisis.

“But the one who confirmed the incompetent, slow and directionless actions of the government was the one asked to resign,” Pangilinan said, apparently referring to former special adviser to the National Task Force on COVID-19 Dr. Anthony Leachon.

Martires refused to comment on the senators’ calls, although he clarified that “whether (Duque) takes a leave of absence or not, it will not affect our investigation.”

The DOH expressed support for Duque amid calls for him to resign or take a leave of absence, with Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire saying at a press briefing that they do not find the need for Duque to leave, whether temporarily or permanently.

“We (give) our full support to the secretary and we still think he should be retained in his position,” she noted in the wake of calls for Duque to relinquish the post amid the anti-graft probe.

Vergeire added that having knowledgeable undersecretaries, for instance, does not mean that they are capable to do Duque’s job, especially since the country is still combatting the pandemic.

“We hope the public will understand that we are able to do our jobs because we have a leader like Secretary Duque. Having a leader is important in an organization,” she maintained.

Vergeire said they have yet to receive a formal notice about the investigation.

Martires criticized Vergeire’s statement that the probe will “definitely affect” DOH operations and may dampen the morale of health personnel.

“We were not demanding much of their time. These things that we are going to ask from the Department of Health can be done by a mere clerk, not even by a division chief. Unless they would like to sanitize the documents, that is why the head of office or the one in charge must look into the documents before they release it to us,” Martires pointed out.

“Are we not, as ordinary people, also suffering from low morale because of the fact that we cannot even go out of our homes? Are we happy with what is happening? Are the medical frontliners happy with what is happening to them?” he added. Mary Grace Padin, Paolo Romero, Sheila Crisostomo