DBM to submit documents for Ombudsman’s COVID-19 response probe

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it will submit on Thursday to the Office of the Ombudsman documents related to alleged irregularities in the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a televised briefing Wednesday, DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado expressed willingness to cooperate with the Ombudsman’s probe.

“Kami naman dito sa DBM ay nakahanda at bukas nga sa pagkakaalam ko, isusumite na namin yung mga dokumento na hinihingi sa amin ng Office of the Ombudsman,” Avisado said.

(We at the DBM are ready and tomorrow, from what I know, we will submit the documents being asked by the Office of the Ombudsman.)

“Nang sa ganun, makatulong sa pagtuklas o sa pagsasagawa ng kung ano man ang kalalabasan sa imbestigasyon, gawa nang meron dapat na paliwanag kung bakit ganun ang nangyari, na matagal at di kaagad naisagawa yung dapat gawin,” he added.

(This way, it will help with the investigation and give an explanation to what happened, why it took so long, and why the things needed to be done were not acted on earlier.)

Last week, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said his office ordered the DBM and the Department of Health (DOH) to submit documents needed in the probe into the government’s COVID-19 response.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials of the agency are facing an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over the purchase of 100,000 COVID-19 test kits, the use of test kits invented by the University of the Philippines, among others.

But President Rodrigo Duterte himself vouched for Duque, even saying that he will “stake his reputation” that the health secretary is “clean.”

/MUF