COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) disputed allegations of corruption hurled against the administration of Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman over the unfinished PHP10-million Maimbung Hospital in Sulu, describing them as “lies”.
Refuting the accusation, ARMM immediately issued an official statement, explaining it was not the regional government that changed the original plans of Maimbung Hospital from a 25-bed to a 40-bed facility, without informing the region’s health department.
“It was the provincial government of Sulu, led by former Sulu governor Sakur Tan, who continues to lie about the supposed corruption in the construction of the Maimbung Hospital in Sulu,” the statement said.
The statement further said that due to the urgent need of the people for a better hospital facility, the ARMM’s Department of Health (DOH) proposed the construction of the Maimbung Hospital, which was approved by the DOH’s national office in 2011.
The hospital had a funding of PHP10 million for an approved plan of a 25-bed facility under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), a program that was later ruled as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
“The approved plan was signed by both Department of Health-ARMM Secretary Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr. and Sulu District Engr. Taballang Atluh,” the ARMM statement noted.
It added that prior to the Supreme Court decision on the DAP as being unconstitutional, a total of PHP6.5 million had been downloaded to the Sulu Engineering District for the construction of the hospital.
“This was confirmed by no less than the Sulu provincial government during an official visit by Sec. Sinolinding,” the ARMM said.
Moving further to the core of the issue, the ARMM said that “to say that no money was turned over to the Sulu provincial government and that the hospital had a funding of PHP36 million is a lie”.
It may be recalled that during the Dec. 3, 2012 groundbreaking ceremony for the Maimbung Hospital, then Sulu governor Abdusakur Tan said he would give an additional PHP10 million so that a bigger hospital could be built.
“The design for the project which was subcontracted to the Sulu provincial government was modified from a 25-bed into a 40-bed hospital without forwarding the new plans to the DOH-ARMM, an act which merits an investigation by the Commission on Audit,” the ARMM statement said.
But due to the SC decision on DAP, funding for the hospital was frozen, leaving the people of Sulu with the barebones of a hospital whose added plans were not approved by either the national or regional government, it added.
Meanwhile, Tan’s promised PHP10 million is “still nothing but words”, the statement said.
Subsequently, the DOH-ARMM lobbied before the DOH national office to fund the immediate completion of the hospital, to which it has managed to secure the funding via the 2018 Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Under the program, Maimbung Hospital now stands to receive PHP25.79 million for infrastructure and another PHP25.11 million for equipment this year.
“To say that the ARMM has ignored and failed to act regarding the state of Maimbung Hospital is a lie,” the ARMM reiterated, adding that it welcomes all inquiries surrounding the issue.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) tried to reach former Sulu governor Tan for comments but failed. (PNA)
