The Office of the Ombudsman expanded its investigation on alleged “lapses” in the Department of Health’s COVID-19 response to include Secretary Francisco Duque and other officials.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he formed two more teams of investigators and ordered criminal and administrative charges filed against DOH officials who gave investigators the “runaround” in an earlier probe on issues raised over the purchase of COVID-19 test kits.
Duque and the agency have drawn criticism over the coronavirus response, as cases in the country continued to rise amid eased quarantine restrictions.
The health chief survived resignation calls in April and then received condemnation earlier this month for passing the blame on his staff over delays in the release of cash benefits for health workers who died or suffered severe symptoms of COVID-19.
Malacañang urged the DOH to cooperate with the Ombudsman’s investigation.