Charles Teves
The interest of Filipinos wanting to know where most of the COVID-19 funds were spent under the Duterte administration has revived after the ADB and the World Bank subjected their loans to the Philippine government to buy COVID-19 vaccines to an extra special audit.
The loans the ADB and the World Bank gave to the Philippine government to buy COVID-19 vaccines are being subjected to an extra special audit at the request of both financial institutions.
On Tuesday, Gamaliel Cordoba, chairman of the Commission on Audit (COA), announced this and pledged to conduct a full audit of money spent on vaccines.
Senator Risa Hontiveros brought up the NDAs between the Philippine government and the vaccine manufacturers during the hearing, pointing out that the COA has not yet audited public funds used to procure COVID-19 vaccines.
#TedFailonandDJChaCha | Humiling ng special audit ang mismong World Bank at Asian Development Bank sa pinautang na pondo sa Pilipinas para ipambili ng COVID-19 vaccine. #News5 pic.twitter.com/QAIzdwqBSu
— News5 (@News5PH) November 30, 2022
According to Cordoba, the Department of Health has already written to COA requesting an audit of the vaccine deals. This is in order to satisfy the requirements of the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, which mandated the liquidation of loans given to the Philippine government.
He added that NDAs didn’t have any bearing on the vaccine deals and that auditors from the COA were already working with the DOH to obtain copies of contracts and other documents related to the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.
“Our resident auditor will issue a demand letter for the documents and if they [do not] comply, we have to issue a notice of suspension and go through the process of notice of disallowance. We will seek other legal processes which may include the issuance of a subpoena,” Cordoba said.
Netizens feel that former president Rodrigo Duterte is in trouble after the special audit request. The Duterte administration was heavily criticized for its handling of the COVID-19 response.
AYAN NAAA!!!!
WORLD BANK AT ASIAN DEVT BANK NAG REREQUEST NG SPECIAL AUDIT PARA SA PONDONG PINAUTANG SA BANSA NA PINAMBILI NG COVID VACCINES.
HULI KA KANOR!!!
— STORYMAKER (@T4rgetL0cked) November 30, 2022
Both World Bank and Asian Development Bank are requesting a special audit of the pandemic funds but Duque, who was the Sec of Health during Duterte’s admin refused to have the funds audited citing the NDA attached to the contracts.
Takot kasi may tinatago??🧐
— bella (@isabelmerana) November 30, 2022
https://twitter.com/RDA47338427/status/1597847562245267457?s=20
https://twitter.com/ping2francisco/status/1597755984054980610?s=20
News: "ADB, World Bank demand special audit of COVID-19 vaccine purchases"
YES PLEASE! WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE EXACTLY THE MONEY WENT!
— ☆Don Silvino☆ (@DonSilvino100) November 29, 2022
Ang World Bank at Asian Devt Bank ay parehong nagpautang ng malaking halaga para pambili ng COVID19 vaccine. Matatandaan na naging maalingasngas ang kwento tungkol dito sa dahilan gusto ni Duterte vaccine from China ang bilhin at sobrang mahal! pic.twitter.com/yKLJ1Hhd1c
— Da Celestine (@Celestine_DKila) November 30, 2022
