Why muzzle the agency that guards against corruption?

Instead of reproaching the independent state audit body for doing its job, President Duterte should have called for an investigation on the alleged deficiencies of the Department of Health (DOH) in the use of its P67.3-billion pandemic funds.

The Commission on Audit (COA) said “the deficiencies in the handling of the P67.3-billion pandemic response fund were caused by noncompliance with pertinent laws, rules and regulations, and undermined the timely and efficient response to the pandemic last year.”

It said “the DOH failed to utilize P59.124 billion of its 2020 budget and was unable to use as much as P11.8 billion of the COVID-19 funds, which meant that these ‘were not translated [into] much-needed health supplies, equipment and services that could have benefited both the health workers and the general public during the critical times of the pandemic.’”

But what was more appalling was the reaction of the President who said on national television that COA’s report implied corruption. The President even told Duque to “ignore the COA report,” obviously unmindful that COA is an independent constitutional body whose mandate includes publicly disclosing expenditures by state agencies.

One of Mr. Duterte’s avowed commitments at the start of his presidency was to rid the government of corruption. He declared that he would fire officials with just a “whiff” of corruption on them. Why is he now muzzling the agency that guards against corruption, and shielding those who committed irregularities in using public funds?

What all these reek of is colossal mismanagement, even clear and present signs of corruption, that should warrant the resignation of Duque. In the best interests of the suffering Filipino people, he must resign immediately even if his boss tells him not to. And if the President cannot or will not rid government agencies of corrupt officials, he must resign, too!

BISHOP EMERITUS DEOGRACIAS S. IÑIGUEZ JR.
RT. REVD. REX B. REYES JR.
BISHOP JOEL E. TENDERO
BISHOP CIRIACO FRANCISCO
BISHOP DINDO RANOJO
Ecumenical Bishops’ Forum