Department of Health officials on Wednesday denied there was a “mafia” in the agency and that there was a “missing” fund for Dengvaxia.
“Your honor, as far as I am concerned — and given that I am only in the DOH the second time for the last three months — I see no documents nor evidence that would point out to the existence of a mafia in the DOH,” Duque said when asked by Senator Gringo Honasan during his confirmation hearing before the powerful Commission on Appointments.
Duque essentially belied claims made by Dr. Francis Cruz, who said that the “mafia” benefited from the “plunder” of the funds used to purchase the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.
Cruz accused former Health Secretary Janette Garin, allegedly a member of the “mafia,” of allotting P3 billion to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center.
P550 million, however, remained at the DOH and is now missing, Cruz said.
“Wala pong katotohanan na pinagpartihan namin ‘yung pera because it’s still intact in the DOH,” Director Larry Cruz of the DOH said.
He was seconded by Undersecretary Carol Vidal-Taino, who said that only P3 billion was allotted to the PCMC “because that’s the commensurate in the bidding done by the PCMC for the Dengvaxia.”
“So for the undisbursed fund, P556 million was not converted and remain outstanding and undisbursed in the Department of Health in favor of the PCMC,” she said. Meanne Corvera, Eagle News Service