Ombudsman vindicates (2)

The Ombudsman was correct in his unsolicited recommendation that Audit Observation Memorandum or AOMs should not be published to prevent prejudging those involved.

But AOMs with biased, political undertones and color, if released within a conspired time frame and raising issues as critical as huge Department of Health or DoH money intended to combat Covid-19 being stolen, can cause a rebellion.

More than ever, these justify graft buster Martires' anger over the publication of AOMs.

Amazingly, this scenario reappeared with an almost repeat performance by the same personalities like the lady who poured out her tears over the plea bargaining agreement, Heidi Mendoza, who suddenly appeared from nowhere crying again and asking everyone to pray for the soul of her colleague, UN Auditor, Atty. Jake Cimafranca, who worked hard on the DoH report, died of a heart attack. She posted about it in time for Cimafranca's burial.

Also suddenly appearing was Grace Pulido Tan of the "kahindik-hindik (hideous)" PDAF audit report, echoing the same statement of her tandem Heidi that the release of the DoH audit report was regular and not premature.

Astonishing everyone, including CoA state auditors, was the rebuff by no less than CoA Chair Michael Aguinaldo of the directive of President Duterte telling him to audit the Philippine National Red Cross. He said the CoA needed more authority to audit the PNRC. State auditors were shocked by the answer of their chief to a presidential order. Something must be cooking.

And there emerged the resounding call for an immediate investigation by the senators of the Republic on the DoH's P67.32- billion fund intended to fight Covid-19. Soon, the call for an inquiry sounded worldwide. The internet showed news flashes in the world's capital cities of allegedly massive Department of Health funds of the Philippines intended to protect the people of the archipelago from the onslaught of Covid-19 being stolen.

But former fiscal and President Rodrigo Duterte could not be intimidated. "Pure bullshit": Duterte says CoA-flagged DoH funds not stolen.

Duterte tells Cabinet secretaries to ignore CoA reports: "Nothing will happen there."

All probes against DoH "can continue," Palace says after Duterte scores CoA.

In effect, Fiscal Digong was saying, you can go on with your investigation. Catch the crooks, but do not hinder government efforts to provide our people with the supplies they need to protect them from Covid-19.

Here is how it all started.

The annual audit report on the accounts and financial operations of the Department of Health for the calendar year ending 31 December 2020 disclosed, among other things, the following most significant observations contained in one of the collections of AOM released as an annual audit report on 11 August 2021:

"1. Various deficiencies involving some P67,323,186,570.57 worth of public funds and intended for national efforts of combatting the unprecedented scale of the Covid-19 crisis were noted. These deficiencies contributed to the challenges encountered and mixed opportunities by the DoH during the state of calamity and national emergency and cast doubts on the regularity of related transactions.

"We requested that the SoH (Secretary of Health) implement the recommendations contained in the Consolidated Management Letter on the audit of Covid-19 funds for the year ending 31 December 2020 and submit a status report on the actions taken on the audit recommendations stated therein."

On 11 August 2021, the preceding observation was reported by a local stream media as a blazing headline:

"CoA finds DoH lacking in managing P67.32-B Covid funds."

"The Commission on Audit found deficiencies in how the Department of Health managed the P67.32 billion fund to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that it contributed to challenges that the country faced during the crisis.

"CoA's annual audit report for DoH in 2020 revealed that the deficiencies are caused by non-compliance with pertinent laws and regulations, which led to missed opportunities for the department primarily tasked with managing the pandemic."

(To be continued)