Vergerie: DOH surprised on Ombudsman probe

Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said Thursday DOH was surprised why the Office of the Ombudsman is investigating the agency, adding they have always been transparent with its processes.

“Yes, I was surprised why we are being investigated by the Ombudsman. We have always been transparent. Lahat na aming datos, pinapakita namin sa publiko [we are showing all of our data to the public], every day, in our pressers, data is made available in different platforms,” Vergeire said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

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Vergerie also answered the Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ claims that his office started the investigation on Duque even before the declaration of the enhanced community quarantine on March 15. Some DOH officials and personnel, however, gave the investigators a runaround.

“Kung sakaling nagkaroon ng runaround, napagpasa-pasahan, hindi naman po siguro ganun. Ang RITM po kasi ay under DOH, kaya may mga referral po ang RITM sa DOH and then back to RITM. Pero pinatitignan na po natin ito. We will be cooperating with the processes of the government,” Vergeire added.

(I don’t think there was a runaround. Because RITM is under DOH, so RITM has referrals to DOH and then back to RITM. But we’re looking at it. We will be cooperating with the processes of the government.)

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Also read: Ombudsman to probe Duque, others over COVID-19 response ‘anomalies’

She added Health Secretary Francisco Duque III already ordered to track the trail of the Ombudsman’s request for documents.

“Lahat po ng request for documents sa opisina namin ay binibigyan po namin ng response at kung hindi naman po namin maibigay, nagbibigay po kami ng acknowledgment,” Vergeire added.

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(We are responding to all requests for documents in our office and if we can’t provide them, we give acknowledgment.)

“We are checking kung saan nagkaroon ng kakulangan. There were information being asked from us, at pinag-aaralan nating mabuti; tinitignan po ng opisina kung ano po ang circumstances para makasagot po tayo ng maayos sa ating Ombudsman,” Vergeire said.

(We are checking where we had shortcomings. There was information being asked from us, and we study it carefully; the office looks at the circumstances so that DOH can respond properly to our Ombudsman.)