Reports on Bayanihan 1, 2 fund utilization submitted to Pacquiao's office — DOH

MANILA, Philippines — The reports on how the funds under the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws were used have been submitted to the office of Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the health department said Thursday, after the senator called for an accounting of the budget for the government's pandemic response.

The relationship between the once close political allies President Rodrigo Duterte and Pacquiao has soured, with the chief executive assailing Pacquiao for criticizing the supposed corruption in government.

Duterte has dared Pacquiao to name the corrupt agencies and officials, threatening to campaign against the senator during next year's elections and expose him as a liar if he fails to do so. Pacquiao, the acting president of the ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, is reportedly gunning for the presidency in 2022.

The boxer-turned-senator has accepted the president's challenge, saying the inquiry should start with the Department of Health, particularly with the procurement of COVID-19 supplies and equipment.

"I’d like to confirm that the budget utilization for both Bayanihan 1 and 2 has already been submitted to the office of Senator Pacquiao from the Office of Secretary Francisco Duque (III)," Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said at a press briefing.

"We also submitted the report to the office of Senator Pacquiao on the procurement through PS-DBM (Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management) since this is a whole-of-government kind of approach and we had the support of PS-DBM in the procurement of several testing kits, laboratory reagents and of course equipment through PS-DBM," he added.

Vega said the DOH used 98% of the Bayanihan 1 budget and 93% of the Bayanihan 2 funds. Both laws allocated funds for the government's pandemic response.

"And these include the PPEs, (personal protective equipment)... The report on the vaccine obligation and disbursement has also been submitted to the office of Senator Pacquiao," the health official added.

The DOH has described the corruption allegations as "baseless" and has vowed cooperation with congressional inquiries on the pandemic response.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque expressed hope that Pacquiao would be able to name corrupt agencies before the senator leaves for his next boxing match.

"The president is waiting for Senator Pacquiao's list of corrupt agencies. While he said that one of them is DOH, the issue has been fully investigated by the Senate. So there is nothing new in what he said," Roque said.

"So we hope before Senator Pacquiao leaves, he can say who should be investigated because the message of the president is he won't tolerate corruption. Once he knows where the fire is, he will extinguish that fire," he added.

Asked to react to Pacquiao's statement that he is not a liar and a corrupt official, Roque replied: "Good for him but the president is still waiting for his information about the corrupt agencies and the president would see whether there is a need to fire people. But he has to say where the corruption is."

Roque insisted that Pacquiao's allegation against the administration is about politics.

"We all know that Senator Pacquiao wants to run for president. For me, it's not a right strategy because Senator Pacquiao and the president have been working together for a long time and for now, the president has not endorsed anyone," the Palace spokesman said in Filipino.

"I have repeatedly said that the president had mentioned Senator Manny Pacquiao as one of the three persons he may endorse for president. I do not know why Senator Manny Pacquiao could not wait," he added.

Asked whether Duterte would reconcile with Pacquiao or just support the senator's eviction from the ruling party, Roque replied: "I’m not a fortune teller; I cannot see the future. In politics, anything is possible so I cannot answer that I cannot even speculate. One thing I’ve learned from a very limited period of time that I’ve been in politics is anything is possible."