DOH eyes submission of report on COA findings by next week

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is aiming to submit by next week its report to answer alleged deficiencies on the use of P67.32 billion worth of funds flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

This will be earlier than the September 27 deadline that was set by COA for their response, he added.

Duque said he has already tasked the health department’s undersecretary for administration and finance and the undersecretary for procurement supply chain management to draft the report.

“Ang binigay ng COA sa amin ay up to September 27 para bigyan nang kasagutan ang kanilang mga findings pero ang gusto ko, sabi ko sa mga opisyal ko, I don’t want to wait up to September 27. I want it by early next week, sagutin na lahat yan,” he said in an interview over ABS CBN’s TeleRadyo.

(The COA has given us up to September to answer their findings. But I don’t want to wait until then. I told my officials that I want it by early next week.)

Duque said the DOH is ready and will answer each of the COA’s findings since it’s the agency’s mandate to be accountable on funds that it uses.

“Pero dapat intindihin naman ng taong bayan na tayo ay nagpapatakbo ng isang ahensya under a state of public health emergency. Mga tao natin nagkakasakit, naoospital, may namatay pa. So ang ating workforce at hindi naman full capacity, 30% lang, so nagkakaroon ng antala sa submission ng mga dokumento,” he said.

(The public should understand that we are running an agency under a state of public health emergency. Our people are getting sick, getting hospitalized, and some even die. So our workforce is not in full capacity, it’s only 30% so there are delays in the submission of documents.)

EDV