News Roundup 18 August 2021
Aug 18, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines reports 11,085 new COVID-19 cases | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines on Wednesday reported 11,085 new coronavirus cases, the eight straight day of seeing five-digit additional infections. Today’s numbers pushed the country’s total to 1,776,495. The Department of Health said the figures came without testing results from nine laboratories.
- Active cases: 105,151 or 5.9% of the total
- Recoveries: 11,628, bringing the number to 1,640,721
- Deaths: 161, or now 30,623 in total
DOH told: Respond to audit findings instead of criticizing auditors | PHILSTAR.COM – The Department of Health should explain the deficiencies the Commission on Audit found and not criticize state auditors for fulfilling their mandate, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines said. DOH officials faced lawmakers at the House of Representatives on Tuesday for a legislative inquiry into COA’s report that flagged supposed P67-billion in COVID-19 response. But Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega ended up trying to shift blame to hospital’s human resource departments and to the department’s regional offices. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III meanwhile bemoaned the COA report, accusing state auditors of “wrecking” his department’s reputation. He added that it was “unfair” and “unjust” for the COA to come out with its findings when it supposedly did not give the DOH enough time to respond — state auditors however pointed out that time and even an extension was given to the department. In a statement on Wednesday, the IBP said: “Public auditors are a key element in good governance and fulfill an invaluable public service — informing the people how their money was spent.” The IBP added that COA has the exclusive authority to adopt rules and methods for “prevention and disallowance of irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant or unconscionable expenditures.” The national association of lawyers also stressed that COA enacts its Constitutional duty when it issues a report, as it is mandated to track the use of funds and resources. “The COA’s report by itself bears no malice and is actually based on the government’s own records, or the lack of it. Whatever ‘taint’ or ‘perception’ of corruption that arises from a COA report is not the fault of editors who are simply doing their sworn function,” it said. “We submit that rather than to criticize the COA and its auditors, the Department of Health should instead cooperate with them and explain the ‘deficiencies’ and submit documentation or supporting papers to explain its side,” the IBP added.
Lawmakers defend COA after it gets flogged by Duterte over DOH audit | INQUIRER.NET – Lawmakers defended the Commission on Audit (COA) on Tuesday after it received a verbal flogging from President Rodrigo Duterte for flagging deficiencies in the use by the Department of Health (DOH) of its allotments and for allegedly implying corruption, particularly in connection with a P67.3-billion fund for pandemic response. They reminded the president that the COA was an independent constitutional body whose mandate included publicly disclosing expenditures by state agencies. They said Duterte should investigate the DOH instead of scolding the state auditing body for doing its job.
Grilled at the Senate hot seat, Duque blurts out: ‘’Gulo ng utak ko’’ | Manila Bulletin – Amid a barrage of senators’ queries on alleged DOH incompetence in managing its billions of pesos of COVID 19 related response funds, Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III told the Senate Blue Ribbon committee that he is confused. ‘’Gulo ng utak ko. Di ko na alam,’’ Duque said as his voice faded out during the questioning by Senator Richard J. Gordon, committee chairman, on Commission on Audit (COA) findings that the DOH was incompetent in the handling of P67 billion representing its COVID-19 response funds. COA, however, stressed that it found out that corruption was not an issue in its audit report. ‘’Maraming psychiatrist dyan sa DOH. Pagamot ka muna ng psychiatrists,’’ Gordon told Duque. ‘’I know it is stressful to work in government. Please make sure to get it done,’’ he added. Gordon then stressed Duque is his friend but his loyalty is with the government and ‘’my country.’’ `He said his committee wanted to determine whether the billions of pesos entrusted with government agencies, such as DOH, are efficiently used. Performance is checked with the outcome, he emphasized. ‘’We are willing to help but God help those who help themselves,’’ he added.
