The Department of Health (DOH) has been criticized left and right for their questionable spending of COVID-19 funds after the Commission on Audit (COA) report came out.
In the COA’s 2020 audit report on DOH’s COVID-19 funds, there were deficiencies or problems in spending a total of P67.3 billion.
There are P11.89 billion in unobligated allotments.
The COA said the stalled funds were not used on health supplies, equipment, and services that would have helped health workers and ordinary people during the critical period of the pandemic.
The report also said that the P5 billion spent by the DOH has procedural deficiencies such as a lack of documentation.
The government also spent P194 million at a disadvantage.
The DOH also spent P69 million for equipment and supplies, but they were not used or were not used immediately.
The COA also fined P278 million spent on cash allowances, gift certificates, and grocery items without a legal basis.
The COA also questioned the P81 million liquidations of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation from the agency’s interim reimbursement mechanism funds.
DOH criticized over alleged misuse of pandemic funds
The agency also said that in-kind donations amounting to P1.4 billion are not documented.
The COA recommended Health Secretary Francisco Duque to remind his officials that pandemic funds should be used quickly and efficiently.
Vice President Leni Robredo is disappointed about the issue.
“Kung totoo nga bang maraming hindi nagastos, malungkot ito, malungkot kasi may pera pero hindi siya nagastos at hindi siya nagastos nang tama, and on top of it alam nating marami tayong utang ngayon,” said Robredo.
Amid the controversy, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) stressed that not all health workers receive benefits from the government.
The Makabayan bloc also insisted in Congress that they will question Duque in the next budget deliberations.
Despite the COA report and criticisms of him, Duque said the documents on the funds in question were complete.
“Sasagutin natin lahat ‘yan… Pero dapat din intindihin ng taumbayan na tayo ay nagpapatakbo ng isang ahensiya under a state of public health emergency, mga tao natin nagkakasakit, ‘yung mga tao naoospital, may namatay pa, ang ating workforce hindi full capacity. Nagkakaroon ng antala sa submissions ng mga dokumento pero hindi dahil walang dokumento,” Duque insisted.
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