THE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the administrative charges against former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III over the alleged irregularities in the transfer of billions worth of funds to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2020 for the acquisition of medical supplies at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a 10-page order approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on September 30, the anti-graft court granted the consolidated motion for reconsideration filed by Duque on May 14, 2024 against an earlier order of the Office of the Ombudsman, which found him guilty of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross neglect of duty in relation to the matter.
Duque was then ordered dismissed from the service with forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetually disqualified from reemployment in the government.
In the latest order, the Ombudsman said it is constrained to hold that Duque is no longer the proper subject of an administrative complaint in connection with the irregular fund transfers to PS-DBM since he has already left the office.
“Considering that the issues on the administrative charges have been rendered moot, this Office sees no point in belaboring the other arguments relating thereto,” the order reads.
However, graft charges against Duque, along with former PS-DBM official Lloyd Christopher Lao, regarding the irregularities in the purchase of P41.4 billion worth of Covid-19 supplies, remain active before the Sandiganbayan.
The supplies include detection kits, nucleic acid extraction machines, mechanical ventilators, personal protective equipment, surgical masks, cadaver bags, and various test kits.
The complaints were filed by former senator Richard Gordon and Senator Risa Hontiveros, who led a Senate investigation on the Covid-19 supplies procurement after it was flagged by the Commission on Audit.
A start-up firm, Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, bagged an at least P8.6-billion contract from the PS-DBM for the procurement of face masks, personal protective equipment, and Covid-19 test kits on behalf of the DOH.
In the probe, lawmakers tagged the procured supplies from the “favored” firm as “overpriced.” (TPM/SunStar Philippines)