Palace says it respects Ombudsman probe; urges Duque, DOH execs to cooperate

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday called on the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials to cooperate with the Ombudsman after it ordered an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the agency’s COVID-19 response.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this as he noted that Malacañang respects the Ombudsman’s decision, as an independent body, to probe the officials.

“We respect the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) to probe Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and other health officials over the alleged irregularities in the COVID-19 response,” Roque said in a statement.

“The Ombudsman, as we all know, is an independent constitutional body; thus, we will let the process run its course as we enjoin Secretary Duque and the entire DOH bureaucracy to cooperate with the investigation and respect the orders of the OMB,” he added.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the investigation of the agency’s purchase of 100,000 test kits and the use of test kits invented by the University of the Philippines (UP).

It also ordered a probe into the delayed procurement of protective gear, the alleged lapses that led to the death of healthcare workers, the processing of benefits of virus-hit healthcare workers, and the reporting of the country’s COVID-19 cases.

JE