COA deserve full support

"I will stand by Duque even if it brings me down". What else is there to say about that? DOH Sec. Duque must be tickled pink knowing the most powerful official in the country has his back amidst scathing criticism of how he is performing during the pandemic. Whatever the Commission on Audit (COA) unearths regarding deficiencies and fund anomalies at the DOH may no longer matter to him.

I am happy with the overwhelming support the COA is getting from many business groups after President Duterte's order for his Cabinet to ignore it. It is within the mandate of COA to do what they do to check graft, corruption, and malfeasance. But this administration hates any sort of criticism from anyone, COA included as it sees itself as infallible and untouchable. The COA reports say otherwise.

The COA reports do not outright indicate government funds were stolen. They merely cite the deficiencies in documentation, how and why funds were spent or even unspent as well as transferred from one agency to another. The COA reports revealed why the government was not able to purchase vaccines last January. According to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), it is not their duty to purchase the vaccine even if requested by the DOH citing logistics. A clear case of government agencies pointing fingers at each other. If whatever technicalities were resolved then especially with a raging pandemic, the purchase and arrival of the vaccines in the country could have been earlier. They dropped the ball indeed.

The government’s seemingly overpriced purchase of face masks is also being investigated. There is also the issue of ?2 billion that were not used and seemingly parked at the DBM. Two billion pesos can go a long way especially in the light of frontliners constantly complaining of not receiving promised benefits from the government. The frontliners were the tip of the spear against the early days of the pandemic. They were placed in harm's way by caring for the afflicted and the prevention of the spread in the absence of a vaccine. Despite at times becoming overwhelmed they soldiered on, fighting fatigue, and even ostracized and discriminated against by idiots. How many frontliners could have benefitted from ?2 billion pesos sitting at the DBM? One cannot help but be incensed at these revelations along with Duterte instructing his cabinet to ignore COA for doing its job. It is no surprise why the level of arrogance in government has exponentially increased in the last five years. Let us continue to support the COA as they review how the people's funds are being used. If there is nothing to hide, why get emotional?