Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez. Photo from his Facebook page
LUCENA CITY––Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez refuted the news reports that the Commission on Audit (COA) had been allegedly asking him to explain the unliquidated P102-million COVID-19 response fund for the province.
Suarez tagged the reports published Tuesday on national tabloids as “fake news.”
He did not identify the tabloids.
“The fake news cited the alleged COA report by year-end 2019 about the supposed missing COVID-19 fund. But the pandemic only started in March 2020. From that point alone, it was clear that the reports were all lies and full of deceit,” Suarez stressed in a press conference Wednesday.
He appealed to the media to remain fair and balanced in its reporting. “During this critical period, the public depends on legitimate media for truthful information,” Suarez said.
Suarez described the fake news reports as “political assassination” but declined to elaborate.
Quezon did receive P102 million in 2019 from different national government agencies, but these were for several projects and programs of the provincial government, he said.
“Most of the projects are still ongoing. The money is still with the provincial government. It is not missing. The COA is not asking me to explain,” Suarez said.
Cynthia Lubrica, acting provincial accountant, also attested that the remaining funds from the P102 million are still intact.
“It is ready for payment. We’re just waiting for the completion of the projects,” she explained to newsmen.
Suarez said the COA even cited the provincial government at least four times for its proper use of government money.