Amid reports of corruption against the Department of Health (DOH), the department on Tuesday (June 29) said it has always been transparent and cooperative to auditing efforts within the government.
“While we are disheartened by these baseless accusations from our government officials, we submit ourselves to inquiries from legislators as this is a part of the checks and balances in our government,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
“I have always been a champion of good governance and the DOH has always been transparent with regard to our fund utilization.”
The DOH said it is ready to show where the loans for vaccines went. Furthermore, the Department said it has to rationally use its funds to continuously implement the Universal Health Care Law and ensure the unhampered delivery of health services while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide better health outcomes for Filipinos.
“Kung ang tanong ay kung handa kaming ipakita kung saan napunta ang pondo, handang handa po kami,” Duque said.
“We submit reports to concerned government agencies and even the Senate. Ang utang po natin para sa bakuna ay naipaliwanag na noon ng Department of Finance sa Senate Committee of the Whole hearing — ang inutang na pondo ay diretsong napupunta sa vaccine manufacturer mula sa funding agency. Hindi po dumadaan sa DOH o maski na sa gobyerno ang pera mula sa mga funding agencies,” he added.
Under Duque’s leadership, the DOH on April 30 signed a Manifesto of Pledge of Cooperation and Oath of Honesty for Project KASANGGA with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Council (PACC). Under Project KASANGGA, government agencies commit to reduce corruption incidents through swift detection, prosecution, and resolution of graft and corruption cases within their department.
“Hindi pa tapos ang pandemya. Bilang bansa, isa lang dapat ang ating mithiin — at iyan ang i-knock out ang COVID-19,” Duque said. (DOH) – jlo
