(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has recommended the filing of criminal charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque and several others linked to the government’s allegedly anomalous purchase of COVID-19 pandemic supplies.
In the partial committee report released on Tuesday, senators tagged Duque for violations of the anti-graft and corruption law, as well as plunder over the supposed misuse of the crisis response funds.
The lawmakers particularly noted how the Health chief moved over ₱40 billion from his agency to the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (PS-DBM) to supposedly hasten the purchase of medical supplies.
“Even after the multi-billion peso inter-agency transfer, DOH was purchasing supplies at considerably lower prices than that of PS-DBM,” read the 113-page committee report.
Duque, for his part, said if ever the report will adopted, his camp will fully cooperate with the court’s processes as they have “nothing to hide.”.. Read More
