President Rodrigo Duterte instructed Department of Health (DOH) to hasten the government’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
In his address during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipinas-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) National Convention, Duterte said he was the one who gave the order to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a Cabinet meeting, to buy the things that are necessary to fight the pandemic.
“I don’t care how you do it, but do it fast. Considering the need of the moment, don’t go into contracts or lowest bidding because as a mayor for 23 years, I know that this could sometimes take forever. Instead, enter negotiated contracts since this is faster,” he said.
The President said that while the government did not procure from the lowest bidders, he assured that no payment was made from the suppliers until after all the deliveries were completed.
He also belied allegations of overpricing, saying that the suggested retail price of commodities like face masks, as issued by Department of Trade and Industry, was the basis of the price for which the government paid its procurements.
Addressing issues about certain suppliers of the government, Duterte also said no law was violated since Chinese doing business in the country is part of the government encouraging everyone in the world to come to the Philippines to do business.
Meanwhile, he also clarified the issue regarding the P62 billion unspent funds of DOH, as reported by the Commission on Audit.
“The primary force fighting COVID-19 would really be, ideally be DOH. I suppose that it is only right that Congress should give the money of the government to the executive department, and rightly so, to the DOH,” he said.
With this, he called on government detractors to not dwell on how the department [DOH] should be run and how the money given to it is spent, adding that it has programs.
“The fund, according to COA, was unspent. There was no corruption, no missing funds. If there is proof of corruption done by Duque or anyone in the executive branch, I will resign,. I will take responsibility,” Duterte said.
The President said that as the top leader of the country, it is his duty to at least try to explain to the public the real issues affecting the government and the nation.