By
Gina Dizon
BONTOC, Mountain
Province -- The Commission on Audit (COA) and Office of the Ombudsman were
asked to probe and audit use of P41 million maintenance and other
operating expenses (MOOE) fund released to the Bontoc General Hospital here and
X-ray machines and laparoscope purchased by the BoGH left uninstalled for three
to five years after these were purchased.
In same
petition that reached Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Ano,
inter agency task force (IATF) chairman and Health Sec. Francisco Duque, Secretaries
and Undersecretaries of DILG and DOH and Ombudsman Chief Samuel Martirez,
petitioner Juniper Dominguez urged the probe since supplies at the BoGH were
“almost always empty.”
He questioned
how the P41 million MOOE for 2020 was used to purchase drugs and medicine
at P13.7 million, medical and surgical at P5 million, laboratory at P8 million
and a P1.55 million expense for an X-ray and ultrasound and hemodialysis
supplies at P2.36 million.
The petition
cited an idle X-ray machine purchased Dec. 2, 2015 by the provincial government
of Mountain Province remained uninstalled.
Said X-ray
machine was the subject of an audit observation memorandum (AOM) issued by COA
to Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Provincial Health Office head Nenita Lizardo and Bontoc
General Hospital chief Dr. Raquel Tannao Kanongkong on Jan. 20, 2020.
Earlier
findings from the audit team of COA – Mountain Province bared the X-ray machine
was not used for four years saying it was a "loss of opportunity."
Dominguez
asked why the supplier did not install the machine when he was paid in full and
the contract was consummated including installation.
Dominguez
also asked for a special audit of funds released reportedly used to buy a
non-functional X-ray machine.
The PHO
purchased the machine in 2009 for the Paracelis emergency hospital.
The
PEH eventually had the machine repaired and is now in use.
Still on
X-ray machines, Dominguez in same petition asked why the X-ray delivered
to Besao district hospital was not working when it was delivered in 2009.
A notice of
suspension was then issued by State Auditor Hilario Dumasan on August 16,
2010 on the amount of P2,234,595 as the X-ray machine was
not then operational.
Said notice
was sent to former Gov. Leonard Mayaen and Provincial Accountant Theodore
Marrero, Jordal Medical Systems as the contractor, PHO Nenita Lizardo, former
X-ray Technician Nelly Madeo and Carmen Domawa, Inspection Officer.
Earlier in
2016, petitioner Salvador Liked forwarded an affidavit complaint
to the office of the ombudsman against Provincial Accountant Theodore
Marrero, former BAC chairman Paulo Pagteilan, Lizardo, Madeo, Domawa, BAC
members and quality inspectors and Jordal Medical
Systems for “grave abuse of authority and
dishonesty, violation of the grant and corrupt practices Act.”
Liked said
the complaint emanated from purchase and delivery of the X-ray machine
at Besao Emergency Hospital.
In a letter
forwarded to Ombudsman Martirez on Jan. 14, 2020, Liked followed up his
affidavit complaint earlier forwarded to the office of the ombudsman then
chaired by Chief Conchita Carpio-Morales.
Dominguez'
petition questioned a P2 million laparoscope machine purchased
in December 12, 2016 that remained unutilized until now.
Said
laparoscope was the subject of an AOM issued by COA to Lacwasan, Lizardo and
Kanongkong on January 17, 2020.
Earlier
findings by an audit team of COA-Mountain Province December last year noted the
purchased laparoscope supposedly to be used for abdominal surgery was not
installed due to "lack of accessories".
This was
followed up by a P300,000 purchase request for the missing accessories by Lizardo
and eventually overturned by a request for realignment of said P300,000 by Kanongkong
in 2018 as the needed funds accordingly was P3 million.
Dominguez
asked who tested, inspected and accepted these machines- X-rays and
laparoscope when these were delivered and who were the suppliers of these
non-working equipment.
In said
petition, Dominguez questioned an alleged overprized ultrasound purchased
sometime in 2019 without the signature of the chief of hospital.
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