Former president Rodrigo Duterte does not remember authorizing the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.
MANILA, Philippines — Former president Rodrigo Duterte does not remember authorizing the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.“I could not recall, for the life of me. Maybe what you are saying is true,” Duterte said during an interview with social media personalities in Davao City Tuesday night.
Duterte explained that since it was a pandemic, the government was hard-pressed to find a solution on how to protect the health workers.Salvador Panelo, who served as Duterte’s chief presidential legal counsel, said that Duterte’s directive was “regular” and was meant to protect the public from COVID-19.
At a hearing by the House appropriations committee last Monday, Duque said Duterte had ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion in COVID-19 funds from the DOH to the budget department’s Procurement Service, a move flagged by state auditors. “What has been lost in the political noise is the fact that these CSEs were procured sometime in April 2020, during the very beginning of the pandemic when the only way we knew to protect ourselves, most especially our health workers, from the COVID-19 virus was through face masks, face shields and PPEs,” Duque said.
“Duterte’s administration never answered for it. Now they are scared. Former senator Drilon said Duque is afraid and is now pointing to Duterte,” Gordon said.“If he followed, he’s liable. His only chance is to be a state witness against Duterte,” Gordon said.
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