COA to brief House on DOH deficiencies

State auditors are set to brief members of the lower house on the reported deficiencies in the utilization of the Department of Health’s (DOH) P67.32-billion COVID-19 funds.

According to House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, the briefing is set this week, in efforts to address the issues on the DOH’s spending against the pandemic.

“We want to get the facts straight from COA and we are particularly concerned because the funds involved were among those allocated under the Bayanihan laws that Congress passed last year,” Velasco said in a statement.

“The overall objective is to ensure that the billions of pesos Congress had dedicated to COVID-19 response—and any additional funds it provides in future legislation—are spent wisely and effectively,” he added.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in its 2020 report for the DOH, noted deficiencies in the DOH’s spending which it said were mainly caused by non-compliance with laws, rules, and regulations.

For its part, the DOH claimed the funds are accounted for, and it is currently addressing the compliance issues and deficiencies, with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III saying none of the funds were corrupted.

The briefing for the House members will be hosted by the Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Probinsyano Ako Representative Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. — BM, GMA News