Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros is seeking a comprehensive special audit on the government’s expenses on its response against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, pointing out it has already released billions worth of funds to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO)
Hontiveros said based on the public documents from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the government has already released P570-billion for the pandemic response and yet record-breaking cases of infection continues.
Thus, she said it is imperative that the appropriate Senate committee finds out how the money was utilized and make this massive expenditure transparent in light of the “ever-increasing loans” the government has obtained.
“Bakit parang missing-in-action yung P570 billion? Saan pumunta ang bilyon-bilyon? (Why does it seem as if the P570-billion amount is missing-in-action? Where did it go?),” Hontiveros asked in a statement on Tuesday, March 23.
“Are the funds parked? If they’ve been exhausted already, bakit parang hindi naman nararamdaman? (why don’t we feel it?)” she further pointed out.
The senator lamented the Philippines continues to gain new record-breaking cases because freemass testing and contact tracing in the country remain mediocre and unsystematic.
“These are very basic to our pandemic response but for some reason, we still don't know the drill,” she said.
Hontiveros said it is imperative that the public is able to know how the government spent the P570-billion to address the pandemic.
“Did it help MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) re-open and retain employees? Do we have enough isolation units fully equipped with personnel and supplies? Are there enough capable grassroots health emergency response teams now actively reaching out to those quarantined?” she also asked.
The senator said she intends to file a new resolution calling for a comprehensive special audit of the public funds spent under the two emergency laws passed by Congress—the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1) and Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).
“We need to see the gaps so we can aggressively fill them in. We need a full audit to see our real status, para makabawi tayo sa pumapalpak nating response (so we can rise up from a failed response),” she said.
“It is our duty to the public to make this massive expenditure transparent. We need to mobilize any funds we have wisely so we can finally clearly see the light at the end of this very long pandemic tunnel,” Hontiveros stressed.