How is syphilis, a sexually-transmitted disease, related to the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)?

The Commission on Audit (COA) asked this question to the provincial government of La Union after finding out that it disbursed P2.58 million in anti-COVID-19 funds granted by the national government to finance “those programs, projects or activities” not authorized under the Bayanihan Grant to Provinces (BGP).

COA, in its recently-released 2020 annual audit report for La Union, said the unauthorized purchases “may have undermined the COVID-19 measures and responses” of the provincial government.

In the report submitted by COA Regional Director Chito Janaban to Governor Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III, the state audit agency revealed that of the P57,334,128 granted by government under the Bayanihan program, some P2.5 million was spent for supplies that are unrelated to the detection or prevention of COVID 19.

“Scrutiny of the disbursement vouchers (DV) and supporting documents pertaining to the BGHP transactions revealed that P2,587,998.44 pertained to procurement of laboratory supplies, test kits and reagents (i.e. Dengue Duo test kits, syphilis rapid test, salmonella rapid tests, urine stripes) which ere used to test ailments other than COVID 19,” the audit report said.

Making the controversy even worse is the auditors allegations that “procurement of reagents and kits for COVID-19 testing was not charged against the BGP.” “We also noted that some procurement of reagents, laboratory supplies and test kits for non-COVID were charged to the regular fund,” COA revealed.

Asked to explain, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) said they were of the understanding that the purchases “were considered necessary to support the COVID-19 response and recovery interventions” of the province.

“He added that the laboratory supplies were used by five district hospitals in determining other diseases for those who were COVID 19 suspects/patients,' COA said.

State auditors stressed that the purchased laboratory needs “are not medicines, medical supplies, equipment and instruments” required under the Local Budget Circular No. 126 as these are not reagents or kits for COVID 19 testing.”

The spirit behind the release of BGP was for all provinces to boost their capacity in immediately responding to the crisis brought about by the COVID 19. Thus, utilizing the BGP for PPAs which were not COVID-19 related would greatly compromise the pandemic measures and responses which the BGP seeks to foster,” the COA reported pointed out.

Still, the PHO and Provincial Budget Officer reportedly “asserted” that the purchases were “undoubtedly related to COVID 19”. They reportedly insisted that this is because patients infected with the disease were “required to undergo mandatory tests as part of medical practices and standard operating procedures.
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In its rejoinder, COA stressed that the provincial government has failed to present records that the questioned laboratory supplies were used for COVID-19 patients.