Ombudsman recommends graft case against Duque, Lao for P41B transfer irregularities

The Office of the Ombudsman has recommended filing a graft case against former Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and former Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao.

The indictment stems from an allegedly irregular transfer of P41 billion from the DOH to PS-DBM for procuring COVID-19 supplies, as flagged by the Commission on Audit in 2020.

In its resolution dated May 6 but publicized on Friday, May 10, the Ombudsman found probable cause and recommended filing a case under the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The DOH has stated that it respects all legal proceedings related to the ongoing graft case involving Duque.

The resolution also highlights that direct procurement by DOH would have been more efficient during the pandemic and criticizes the imposition of a 4% service fee on the transaction amounting to over P1.6 billion.