MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte insisted there was “no corruption” in the government’s procurement of supplies for the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic which lawmakers have questioned for supposed irregularities.
“Ako mismo, I would like to disabuse the minds of the detractors of government. Walang nangyaring corruption, sa mga procurement ng gobyerno,” Duterte said in a taped speech that aired Wednesday.
(I, myself, I would like to disabuse the minds of the detractors of the government. There is no corruption in the procurement of the government.)
The President reiterated his call to senators against investigating ongoing programs of government agencies, particularly the Department of Health (DOH) that is at the center of Senate inquiries over its handling of COVID-19 funds.
“Do not run the department as if it is parang opisina lang ng Senado. Do not dictate. Si [Secretary Francisco] Duque yung nagpapatakbo nyan e, hayaan mo sya. Let him make the programs and spend the money,” Duterte said.
(Do not run the department as if it’s an office at the Senate. Do not dictate. It’s Duque who runs that, let him do his work. Let him make the programs and spend the money.)
“At the end of the day, kung palpak ang trabaho niya then that is the time for reckoning. But not before completing the programs of his department in pursuance to his work as Secretary,” he went on.
(At the end of the day, if his work is a failure then that is the time for reckoning. But not before completing the programs of his department in pursuance to his work as Secretary.)
Earlier, the President also denied any corruption in the purchase of face masks and face shields by the Department of Health (DOH) through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in early 2020.