It's the word of the Department of Health (DOH) against that of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on the issue of delayed benefits for health care workers.
At the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's inquiry on the government's delayed compensation of health care workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, DOH Assistant Secretary Maylene Beltran blamed the DBM for their failure to fully spend the P9.7-billion funds for special risk allowances (SRA).
Several hospitals and health workers groups complained having not received their SRAs from the DOH.
Beltran said they were given only five days to obligate and disburse before the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, expired last June 30.
"We were given this amount, released to us through a SARO (special allotment release order), on June 25," she told senators.
"So ilang araw lang po 'yon, may mga kailangan po kaming i-settle na mga MOA, kailangan po namin kausapin 'yong private sector, kailangan ho namin kausapin yong iba't ibang LGU hospitals (So that is a just a few days, when we have to settle memorandum of agreements, we have to speak with the private sector, and when we have to talk to various local government hospitals, too)," she added.
Beltran answered in the affirmative when Senator Richard Gordon asked if the DBM caused the delay.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was also heard saying "yes".
Gordon agreed that the DOH would not be able obligate the funds within five days.
The DOH's claim, however, was negated by the DBM officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Tina Canda, who said they have been prompt in issuing the funds.
According to Canda, resigned DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado signed the administrative order (AO) containing the guidelines for the distribution of SRA on June 3, the same it was received by the agency from the Office of President.
She said it took until June 16 for the to DOH to sign joint circular. The DOH, likewise, submitted its request for the SRA funds only on June 23.
"Hindi naman ho kami pwedeng magrelease without submission of the request, so ililinaw ko lang yon dahil iyon ang kulang doon sa pagsasaad ng kwento ng taga-DOH (We cannot just release funds without the submission of request, so I would just like to clarify that because it was missing in the DOH official's narration)," Canda said.
"They submitted the request on June 23. Being a holiday, June 24, we released the document but it was antedated to June 25," she added.
This was the same scenario when the Senate panel took up the meals, accommodation and transportation (MAT) allowances which most health workers have also yet to receive.
The DOH, in explaining its failure to provide the MAT allowances to hospitals, said they were only given P215 million for the provision of the benefit.
Again pointing at the DBM, Beltran said the DOH was requesting for a higher allocation, but was given a "lower" amount.
"Eh kung kulang ho 'yan bakit sila nagbabalik (If their funds were indeed lacking, why were they returning some)?" Canda quickly responded.
"Just for the record, they had P1.6 billion for 2020, it's still with them, and they have not utilized it. They have not requested for authority to use that for whatever purpose," the DBM official said.
Beltran also admitted that of the P9.7 billion allotted for the SRA, only P6.93 billion was actually disbursed or given to health care workers.
Asked to comment on the DBM's revelations, Duque told senators: "We'll have to look into this."
The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier flagged DOH's "various deficiencies" in handling some P67.32 billion in COVID-19 response funds.