The Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft charges against former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Christopher Lao for supposed illegal fund transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors alleged Duque authorized the fund transfer without hastening the project implementation, saying the transfer was not provided under a memorandum of agreement while the required certifications of liquidation of previous transfers prior to the subsequent release of funds were not submitted.
“With conscious and deliberate disregard or reckless abandonment of their obligation to ensure that the applicable requirements for the transfer of funds be observed effectively, caused the DOH to abandon, in times of health emergency, its bounden duty to expeditiously acquire the needed COVID-19 goods through direct negotiation with the suppliers,” the Ombudsman noted.
“The illegal, unjustified, and unwarranted transfer of funds caused the consequent imposition of service fee that effectively removed a sizeable amount of money intended for purchase of PPEs, test kits, and other COVID-essential goods requested by medical facilities and DOH offices and bureaus,” it added.
Furthermore, the office said Duque and Lao’s actions were highlighted since the illegal fund transfers occurred amid a national health emergency.
“At the time of dire need, the people were looking up at respondents’ offices for relief but have instead entertained suspicions due to their failure to follow the prescribed rules and procedures. Their actions cast the DOH, PS-DBM, and the public service in a bad light,” the Ombudsman said.
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