Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday said former President Rodrigo Duterte directed the controversial transfer of P47.6 billion from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 supplies in 2020.
Duque made the statement during the ongoing oversight hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is reviewing the budget performance of the DOH and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
During the hearing presided over by House Appropriations panel vice chair and Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro questioned Duque about the transfer’s origin.
“Publicly this was made by the President in our meetings in the weekly meeting or Talk to the People,” Duque responded.
The Office of the Ombudsman recently ordered the filing of graft charges against Duque and former Budget Undersecretary Christopher Lao over what it regarded as “irregular transfer” of DOH funds to PS-DBM for the procurement of COVID-19 supplies. It also found Duque and Lao guilty of grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the service.
During the House hearing, Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin further inquired about the official instructions behind the fund transfer.
“The question is did you unilaterally decide to transfer P47.6 billion to PS-DBM?” Garin probed Duque.
“No is the answer. I’m just complying with the rule of the PS-DBM. Again, I do not want to belabor the laws that authorize the PS-DBM to procure in a state of public health emergency materials,” Duque clarified.
He added that the decision was based on recommendations from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which he also headed.
“But I would like to reiterate that it is within my authority to effect the transfer because of the public health emergency where there were not enough CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment), PPEs (personal protective equipment), and other COVID pandemic supplies,” Duque said.