THE Commission on Audit (COA) said the release of the report on the deficiencies in the Department of Health’s (DOH) use of P67.3-billion coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) response funds is just part of the audit process to ensure that all public funds are accounted for.
In a statement, the COA said the release of the initial audit report on government agencies is part of the process in order to allow them to comply with the recommendations and rectify the deficiencies noted.
“The report itself does not mention any findings by the auditors of funds lost to corruption,” it said.
The commission said the DOH has 60 days to submit necessary documentation in order to correct the deficiencies.
“As an example, some of the findings of deficiencies involving Covid-19 funds amounting to P67.3 billion resulted from the non-submission of documentation or supporting papers, which the DOH may still submit in compliance with the auditor’s recommendation,” it said.
“Of the P67.3 billion, P42.4 billion consisted of fund transfers to procurement/implementing partner-agencies without the required documentation. There is no finding that this amount cannot be accounted for. The breakdown of the P67.3 billion and the deficiencies found are clearly explained in Annexes IV and V of the Consolidated Annual Audit Report of the DOH,” it added.
On Monday evening, President Rodrigo Duterte slammed the COA for releasing a premature report on DOH expenditures which put the agency in bad light as the public perceived that the funds were lost to corruption.
He said the COA should stop flagging as it “tainted” a person or a government agency with “corruption by perception.”
Duterte attributed the deficiencies to incomplete documents and not corruption. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)