Hontiveros urges COA to finish special audit on DOH no later than June 2023

FILE PHOTO: Senator Risa Hontiveros (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros is urging the Commission on Audit (COA) to complete its special audit of the Department of Health’s (DOH) COVID-19 vaccine procurement no later than June 2023.

“We expect COA, to the fullest extent of its authority, to compel all government agencies involved to submit the documentary requirements, and complete the audit procedure [by] at the latest by June 2023. Truth be told, the time to subpoena the withheld documents COA needs for its special audit was yesterday,” she said in a statement on Monday.

Concerned government agencies, according to Hontiveros, are not sharing with COA sufficient documents to help state auditors continue with the special audit.

“Bilyun-bilyon ang nilagak at ginastos natin sa (We allocated and spent billions for) COVID-19 responses, up to this point, concerned agencies like the DOH, whether under [former Secretary Francisco] Duque or [officer-in-charge Maria Rosario] Vergeire, are not providing the Commission with sufficient documents to proceed with the special audit,” she said.

“Tama na ang turuan (Stop pointing fingers), government agencies should cooperate and get the audit done,” the opposition senator added.

Hontiveros noted that while the special audit is pending, agencies and individuals possibly involved in wastage or anomalies in spending the COVID-19 response budget will remain unidentified.

In the past two years, the legislator filed resolutions urging COA to conduct a special audit on DOH.

The Asian Development Bank and World Bank have demanded a special audit of loans that they provided the Philippines to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, according to COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba.

READ: ADB, World Bank demand special audit of COVID-19 vaccine purchases — COA chair

Cordoba had disclosed that former health secretary Duque told COA that the DOH could not release vaccine procurement records due to the non-disclosure agreements. Vergeire, however, contradicted Duque and said that documents could be shared if required by law or as part of the auditing or investigation process.

READ: Vergeire: State auditors can get vax deal documents

Duque then defended himself, saying he sought COA for a special audit and provided needed documents to the commission.

KGA/abc