By Jet D. Antolin
THE House of Representatives continues to search for the nearly P2 billion Covid-19 funds as officials from the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) and Department of Health (DOH) have yet to explain where it went.
During the hearing of the House sub-committee on appropriation, it was revealed that the said amount, part of the P47.6 billion transferred by DOH to PS-DBM for the purchase of Covid-19 pandemic supplies, has not been liquidated until now.
In the interrogation by House deputy majority leader Alfred delos Santos, PS-DBM and DOH admitted that over P45 billion of the fund has already been liquidated while approximately P2 billion is still being sought.
According to DOH Usec Achilles Gerard Bravo, around P1.197 billion worth of Covid-19 medical supplies allegedly have not been delivered; P363 million are unrecorded due to lack of documentation, P141 million are for ongoing delivery, and P11 million are reportedly “for reconsideration.”
PS-DBM executive director Atty. Dennis Santiago also admitted that they have liquidated P45 billion of the fund.
“So, Madame Chair, it’s still lacking. We need to liquidate P47.6 billion and you said that P45 billion is fully liquidated. Two billion pesos is not a small amount. So, where is it?” Delos Santos asked. “There are still projects that were subjected to COA (Commission on Audit) audit at the central COA level. So the funds, around two billion, are subject for full liquidation,” Santiago explained.
The lawmakers were not satisfied with Santiago’s response as the fund was transferred to PS-DBM in 2020 but until now, the missing amount remains unliquidated, borrowed by the government and to be paid by the public.
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