News Roundup 17 August 2021
Aug 17, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines sees 10,035 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – Health authorities on Tuesday tallied 10,035 new coronavirus cases to bring the country’s total to 1,765,675. August 16 marks a week, or seven straight days, of officials reporting more than 10,000 additional infections. The Department of Health said six laboratories did not submit test results. “The relatively low number of cases today is due to lower laboratory output last Sunday.
- Active cases: 105,787 or 6.0% of the total
- Recoveries: 10,858, bringing the number to 1,629,426
- Deaths: 96, or now 30,462 in total
Duterte reminded: COA an independent body, necessary check on state spending | PHILSTAR.COM – State auditors, the latest target of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ire, received support from lawmakers on Tuesday after the president told them to stop publishing preliminary audit reports that he said are unfair to government agencies. The president, in a taped speech aired past midnight on Tuesday, cursed at the Commission on Audit and told it to refrain from “flagging” government transactions and programs as “it will condemn the agency or the person.” It came as COA’s yearly reports detailed supposed deficiencies in government spending. Of particular note was the Department of Health and its use of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds. COA, like other constitutional commissions, is independent from the executive branch of government. “It is state auditors who [do the] check and balance of government expenditure so we have to respect what they say,” said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri over ANC’s “Headstart.” Zubiri said the commission plays “a very important role in good governance,” and added policymakers would do well than to just dismiss their findings. DOH, under Secretary Francisco Duque III, has come under scrutiny anew because of the audit report, which noted disbursements that were not supported by documents. Agencies are allowed to address deficiencies and submit documentation to clarify COA findings. The DOH has maintained all funds have been accounted for. In his taped address, Duterte also said he would not allow Duque to resign. “It is not COA that is the problem but negligence,” said Sen. Francis Pangilinan in Flipino, “as well as corruption and poor management in the DOH that Malacañang is condoning.” Meanwhile, two members of the House of Representatives sought to highlight that it is not in Duterte’s powers as chief executive to say when the audit commission should release its findings. They also stressed the public’s right to information on how government funds are being spent. “[He] conveniently forgot that COA is an independent constitutional commission which is not accountable to the president,” said Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) in a statement. “Instead of immobilizing COA, Duterte must order the prosecution of the responsible officials of the agencies flagged by COA and accord them due process,” Lagman added. The COA merely flagged deficiencies and did not conclude that money was lost to corruption. In its audit of the health department, COA said the deficiencies kept the government from making the best use of funds allocated for pandemic response. Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro), meanwhile, said agencies cannot ignore the commission’s findings even if Duterte says they should.
COA to OWWA: Why purchase napkins from construction firm, not drug stores? | INQUIRER.NET – The Commission on Audit (COA) has asked an Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) deputy administrator to explain why sanitary napkins were purchased from a construction and trading company and not drug stores near the Central Office. COA mentioned during its audit report of OWWA for 2020 that the regularity of the expenditures made by a certain deputy administrator worth P1.269 million is doubtful as the items were neither procured from reputable shops nor were they properly itemized. Part of the P1.269 million expenditures are hygiene kits, sanitary napkins, and thermal scanners worth P969,920, which were purchased from MRCJP Construction and Trading. COA said that the company’s establishment or office cannot be found in the address stated in the Collection Receipt (CR) provided. COA stressed that a major drug store just sits near the vicinity of OWWA’s Central Office in Pasay City. “It is unlikely that these items were bought from a store which deals with construction supplies or hardware, considering that the Mercury Drugstore is just around the vicinity of the OWWA,” the Commission said.
Trillanes: Duterte ‘twisting’ COA’s audit report on DOH | Manila Bulletin – Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV accused President Duterte of twisting the story on the Commission on Audit (COA), which recently flagged the Department of Health (DOH) for “deficiencies” in the use of some P67.3 billion of COVID-19 funds. Trillanes, a staunch critic of the President, hit the latter for ranting against the state auditors during his weekly Talk to the People on late Monday night. “Grabe talaga si Duts (Duterte) mambaliktad, parang ang COA pa ngayon ang nangurakot. Tsk tsk. Puro pagtitimpi na lang tayo (Duts is a bit too much on twisting the story as if COA is the one who stole. Tsk tsk. We’re just really holding back),” he said in a Facebook post Tuesday night. During his prerecorded public address, the President told COA to stop flagging government agencies because their reports are hinting that the departments are engaged in corrupt practices.
