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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Disappointing': House leader slams DOH for unused COVID-19 funds

'Disappointing': House leader slams DOH for unused COVID-19 funds

Published Aug 17, 2021 11:11 am

House Deputy Speaker and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda has expressed disappointment over the initial findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the Department of Health's (DOH) handling of the COVID-19 response funds.

Antique representatiive and House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda (Courtesy of Rep. Legarda's Facebook page)

Legarda stressed the urgency of spending government funds amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

"These findings are very disappointing, especially for the Filipino people who are expecting us, the national government, to provide quick response and quality service as we tread the path towards recovery," the Antique representative said in a statement.

"We have recorded 1.8 million total cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic started more than a year ago. Marami na ang nawala at nasayang na buhay at ngayon mayroon na naman tayong kinakaharap na panibagong hamon sa pagpasok ng mga bago at mas nakakahawang variants (Many lives were lost and wasted and now we are again facing challenges due to new and more contagious variants)," she said.

Legarda said DOH officials must explain on the P67.32 billion worth of coronavirus funds flagged by the COA for "varioius deficiencies", which include low utilization or use of funds not for the intended purposes, non-compliance with pertinent laws, and questionable procurements, among others.

The COA said the deficiencies constributed the challenges encountered by DOH in the country’s pandemic response.

“We are talking about billions of pesos here that could have been used for the immediate needs of the people. We do not approve funds to go stale, unobligated and undisbursed," said Legarda, who has also chaired the Senate finance committee when she was a senator in the 16th and 17th Congress.

“The people deserve a clear and detailed explanation from the Department of Health. We cannot allow government funding to remain idle and unutilized. The budget allocated to the Department came from the people’s taxes and was intended to cater to the public’s needs, especially amid this health crisis,” she pointed out.

The House of Representatives's Committee on Public Accounts is set to begin Tuesday its inquiry on the COA's 2020 report on the DOH's handling of COVID-19 funds.

Related Tags

COVID-19 FUNDS COA pandemic response deficiencies audit doh
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