PH
Former president Rodrigo Duterte Presidential.
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 (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.
Duterte, however, conceded: “Maybe what I said is, ‘go ahead.’ ”
“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.
But he stressed: “Considering the huge amount of (fund) transfer, I would have insisted as a lawyer to put it in a memo or something.”
Duque on Monday told the House committee on appropriations that Duterte authorized the transfer because of the public health emergency.
While Duterte insists that he “cannot recall accurately” what he said, he conceded that he might have given the transfer a go-signal.
Duterte explained that since it was a pandemic, the government was hard-pressed to find a solution on how to protect the health workers.
“I ordered everybody to do everything they can do,” he said.
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.
Following calls to include Duterte in the probe on the government’s pandemic supply deals, Panelo said the purpose of the transfer was to do away with the bidding for the purchase of medical equipment like face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment that were urgently needed to respond to the pandemic.
He added that a regular bidding process would have delayed the immediate response required by the emergency situation and would have a “disastrous effect” on the nation.
“It is to the credit of the political will of PRRD (president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and his decisive action, the enactment by Congress of Bayanihan To Heal As One Act I and II and the people’s disciplined response that saved the lives of millions of Filipinos,” he added.
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.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the former president should be included in the investigation into the pandemic supply contracts, since it can be proven that he was introduced to Pharmally officials by Michael Yang, his special adviser in 2017.
Duterte should, at the very least, explain the policy considerations that resulted in his directive to Duque, Hontiveros added.
In a recent statement, Duque said Duterte had been consistent and open in directing his administration to act swiftly and decisively and to do all that it could to fight the pandemic from the very beginning of the public health emergency.
“What has been lost in the political noise is the fact that these CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment) 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.
“Their procurement was not only necessary, but was of extreme urgency. Moreover, having been declared CSEs, procurement of these items through the PS-DBM is mandatory under the law, and not discretionary upon the DOH. It was accordingly on the basis of the foregoing premises that president Duterte gave his approval to course the procurement of the said items through the PS-DBM,” he said.
‘Biggest scam’
Former senator Richard Gordon calls the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. ******* the “biggest scam.”“What happened at Pharmally is the biggest scam and the president of this country masterminded it. I can say that without batting an eye,” Gordon said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, adding that it would never have happened without Duterte.
When Gordon was the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, the former senator said they had at least 18 hearings and submitted the committee report to the ombudsman.
“In fact, we filed the case,” he said.
Gordon detailed the misappropriation of funds, stating that Duterte transferred P47 billion and “when the COA investigated, Duterte cursed us. He was angry because Christopher Lao was exposed.”
“Duterte’s administration never answered for it. Now they are scared. Former senator (Franklin) Drilon said Duque is afraid and is now pointing to Duterte,” Gordon said.
He added that he told Duque to resign if he didn’t want to follow orders.
“If he followed, he’s liable. His only chance is to be a state witness against Duterte,” Gordon said.
Gordon also responded to statements that Duque’s comments were taken out of context, insisting that the former health secretary “cannot hide.”
“He should stand by his statement for his own salvation,” Gordon said.
Meanwhile, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV warned Filipinos not to be complacent as Duterte might again seek higher office, even in the Senate, in the 2025 polls.
“Duterte might run for senator in 2025. So, we have a year to spread the truth about him to awaken his moderate supporters and so he’d be shunned by the new voters,” Trillanes wrote on Facebook.
“Let’s not be passive or else he will win again,” he added, using the hashtag #IbasuraSiDuterteSa2025.
Trillanes vows not to stop criticizing Duterte to make sure that the 78-year-old politician will not win any national post in next year’s polls.
