President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the public that he would hold himself responsible for accounting the billions-worth of funds allocated for the government’s COVID-19 response.

The President, in his pre-recorded public address aired Tuesday morning, also vowed to endorse the filing of charges against individuals who would steal the funds meant to address the COVID-19 crisis.

“Do not worry. All funds spent for COVID-19 will be accounted. I will hold myself responsible for this sole and solemn duty of answering for and in behalf of the Executive department of all the funds that were spent in the fight against COVID,” Duterte said.

“Allow the Secretary of Justice to complete his investigation and his signature on the endorsement will be accompanied by my signature and that will ensure you will see how funds were spent,” he added.

In his speech, President Duterte also demanded the creation of a congressional oversight committee to ensure that the funds allocated for COVID-19 response were used for such purpose.

Duterte also ordered government agencies to publish in newspapers the details of their procurement related to the COVID-19 response and even bidders’ addresses — either every 15 days or monthly.

The President’s assurance came on the heels of renewed allegations of corruption within the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Congress has passed Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which allowed the President to realign P275 billion of this year’s national budget to respond to the pandemic.

The bicameral conference committee recently approved the final version of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act — which succeeded the first Bayanihan Law — pegged at P140 billion with a P25-billion standby budget.

The new measure seeks to allocate funds to aid struggling sectors cope with the coronavirus pandemic which plunged the country into a recession.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Tuesday also lauded both Houses of Congress on the ratification of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or “Bayanihan 2.”

“Now needing only President Duterte’s signature to become a law, it will ensure that the needed and timely responses and actions undertaken by the government in our fight against COVID-19 will continue and will be further enhanced through the needed response fund,” Andanar said.

“Likewise, the implementation of our stimulus packages and recovery plans for struggling sectors, especially our micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), tourism, transport and agriculture sectors, to help our society cope with the impacts of COVID-19 will now be set in motion.”

“With this, we are truly on track to heal and recover as one nation as we strive to help each and every affected Filipino by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

Meanwhile, National Action Plan (NAP) Against COVID-19 chief implementer and Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act is critical to ramp up the implementation of the NAP.

He said Phase II of the NAP is anchored on the Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat-Reintegrate Strategy of the government.

Galvez noted that in the recently ratified bicam report, Congress allotted P3 billion for the procurement of face masks, personal protective equipment, shoe covers and face shields; P5 billion to finance the hiring of at least 50,000 contact tracers to be implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government; and P4.5 billion for the construction and maintenance of isolation facilities including billing of hotels, food and transportation.

Deputy chief implementer and Testing Czar Secretary Vince Dizon also said the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act also provides a P10 billion standby fund for COVID-19 testing and procurement of COVID-19 medication and vaccine. (Daily Tribune)