Duterte hits back at critics, defends remark about ‘depleted’ funds of gov’t

FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte.

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has fired back at his critics who called him out for claiming that the government’s coffers have been depleted due to the pandemic so he had to look for money for Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) aid.

In a command briefing that took place at the General Benito Ebuen Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on Thursday but made public by Malacañang on Saturday, Duterte defended his remark explaining that he really had to scour funds to raise P10 billion for the typhoon response.

“Now alam mo ‘yong mga critics na (sinasabi) may pera, ‘yong ibang mga kinaltasan natin ‘yong mga agencies para makabuo lang. The money na sabi ko nandyaan, wala kaagad. It’s not there,” the President said.

“The money, meron, pero hindi ‘yon intended for this situation na bigla.  We have to — nagwalis muna tayo, kuha ako dito, kuha ako doon, para mabuo lang ang P10 billion. Now I think that we have already gathered that much, and it’s a matter of distribution,” he added.

On December 17 — after news broke out about Odette’s devastation over northern parts of Mindanao, southern parts of Visayas, and Palawan, Duterte said he was late for a briefing as he and the finance cluster had to look for funds since the government’s budget was depleted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: Duterte says looking for money for typhoon victims as funds ‘depleted’ due to COVID-19 

During Monday’s Talk to the People, Duterte also repeated his worry that the government’s funds may be exhausted if another COVID-19 surge takes place in the country, especially with the looming threat of the Omicron variant.

READ: Duterte worried anew about ‘depleted funds’ amid possible Omicron variant spread

But his statements were met with criticisms, including from opposition leader and former Bayan Muna lawmaker Neri Colmenares, who pointed out that the government has made a number of loans and has many funds at its disposal.

Senator Richard Gordon, on the other hand, urged the President to look at the anomaly involving Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., a company accused of charging overpriced pandemic supplies from the government.

READ: Duterte’s fund shortage claim disputed

Last Wednesday, acting Budget secretary Tina Rose Canda explained that of the P10 billion that Duterte promised for the typhoon aid, P6 billion would come from the planned P5.024 trillion national budget for 2022. The national spending proposal for next year is only awaiting the signature of the President.

She also said thatP2 billion would come from the calamity fund, while the remaining P2 billion were sourced from the President’s contingency fund.

From December 16-18, Typhoon Odette ravaged several provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, leading observers to compare it to Super Typhoon Yolanda’s effects in 2013.

READ: Odette: Impact on PH described as ‘catastrophic’

As of Saturday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said that 367 were reported dead due to Typhoon Odette while 51 remain missing.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that the number of people affected by the typhoon has swelled to 3,918,689 or 1,000,742 families, while 108,082 houses have been totally damaged

KGA