DOH on 4 ‘high-end’ laptops: We will answer it in proper channels

Facade of the DOH main office in Manila. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) will explain “in proper channels” its procurement of four “high end” laptops worth a total of P700,000, the agency’s spokesperson said on Saturday.

“Kasama po ‘yan sa isasagot natin ano, dito po sa mga COA audit reports na binigay sa atin,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a public forum.

(That is included in our response to the COA audit report that was given to us.)

“We will be answering that in the proper channels,” Vergeire added.

A document from the Health Department’s Bids and Awards Committee dated August 4 indicated the request for the best and final offer for the four “high-end 2-in-1 laptop with accessories” for P700,000.

The document made rounds on Facebook, which reaped the ire of thousands of netizens.

DOH is also receiving flak after the Commission on Audit’s (COA) audit report of the agency for 2020 found deficiencies in the way the P67.32 billion funds to fight the pandemic were managed.

In a separate statement, the DOH said they will submit their response to the observations and implement the recommendations of the Commission on Audit (COA) by “next week,” which is earlier than the COA’s deadline of September 23.

Vergeire added that the P67 billion in question will be “well accounted for.”

“DOH has always been transparent,” she said.

“Ito pong P67 billion na sinasabi, well accounted for lahat po iyan. Actually ‘yun aming pong pera na naibigay nang nag-umpisa ang pandemya we were able utilize almost 98 percent of that,” she explained.

(This P67 billion that they are saying, that’s all well accounted for. Actually, the money that we have distributed before the pandemic started, we were able to utilize almost 98 percent of that.)

“We are open to all kinds of investigation, hindi po kami aatras diyan, (we will never avoid that.)” she added.

/MUF