Gordon: Graft charges vs Duque, Lao over COVID funds transfer partial step vs 'real culprits'

Former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III listens as former President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people at the Malacañang Palace on December 13, 2021. Richard Madelo, Presidential Photo/File

MANILA — Former Sen. Richard Gordon on Sunday hailed the Ombudsman's filing of graft charges against former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM) Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, saying the move was a partial step against the "real culprits" of the controversial transfer of COVID funds.

The Department of Health, at the height of the COVID pandemic, transferred some P41.464 billion to the PS-DBM to procure COVID-19 supplies such as medical masks, test kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), mechanical ventilators, among others.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Aug. 27 formally filed graft charges against Duque and Lao before the Sandiganbayan over alleged irregularities in the COVID funds transfer.

"[T]his is only a partial step toward unmasking the real culprits—the big fish who engineered and orchestrated this entire scheme," Gordon said in a statement.

"We must all support and encourage the Ombudsman to ensure that these key figures, responsible for the blatant and widespread misuse of public funds during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, are held accountable," he said.

"The Filipino people unequivocally demand and deserve full accountability and absolute transparency."

READ: Ombudsman: Duque, Lao liable for Pharmally mess

In 2022, Gordon and Sen. Risa Hontiveros recommended the graft complaints against Duque and other officials of the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. following months of Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearings into the Duterte administration's procurement of pandemic medical supplies and equipment.

READ: Duque: Fund transfer from DOH to PS-DBM during pandemic authorized by Duterte

Some senators pointed out that Pharmally won some P11 billion in government contracts from 2020 to 2021 for face masks and COVID-19 test kits, even though it was only incorporated in 2019 and only had a capital of about P625,000.

READ: Ombudsman OKs graft raps vs ex-PS-DBM officials over Pharmally mess

When the Ombudsman recommended the filing of graft charges against Duque and Lao this May, the former health chief's camp said it would contest the decision.

"We are fully committed to pursuing all available legal avenues to contest this decision. Rest assured, we will promptly file the necessary pleadings to appeal the Ombudsman's ruling," it said then.

"We remain confident that the facts and evidence will unequivocally demonstrate his innocence. As we move forward with the appeals process, we trust in the integrity and impartiality of the judicial system and we are optimistic that justice will prevail."

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