Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

So it was Digong all along. 

Former Department of Health (DOH) secretary Francisco Duque III has told solons that it was former president Rodrigo Duterte who ordered the controversial transfer of P47.6 billion from the DOH to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of Covid-19 supplies in 2020. 

Duque gave this statement on Monday, June 3 during an oversight hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations. 

The panel, under its senior vice-chairperson, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo has been reviewing the budget performance of the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). 

During the hearing, Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro quizzed Duque about what triggered the transfer. 

“Sinasabi sa atin ni Secretary Duque sa utos ni dating presidente Duterte ay nagkaroon ng ganito na transfer ng P47.6 billion, tama po ba?" asked Castro. 

(What Secretary Duque is saying is that the transfer of the P47.6 billion is based on an order of former president Duterte, is this correct?) 

Duque responded, "Publicly this was made by the President in our meetings in the weekly meeting or Talk to the People". 

Talk to the People was Duterte's nightly pre-recorded press briefing. 

Castro reiterated for clarity, “So clear po ‘yan, P47.6 billion to be transferred to PS-DBM, publicly announced by the former President Duterte na ma-transfer ‘yan.” 

(So that's clear,  P47.6 billion to be transferred to PS-DBM, its transfer was publicly announced by the former President Duterte.) 

The Office of the Ombudsman had recently ordered the filing of graft charges against Duque and former DBM Undersecretary Christopher Lao over what it regarded as “irregular transfer” of DOH funds to PS-DBM for the procurement of Covid-19 supplies. 

The anti-graft body also found Duque and Lao guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the service.