The Sandiganbayan has opened proceedings against former health secretary Francisco Duque III and former budget official Lloyd Christopher Lao over alleged irregularities in a P41.46-billion fund transfer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The anti-graft court’s First Division, chaired by Associate Justice Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega, has begun hearing the graft charges. Prosecutors intend to call state auditors to testify about the delayed or non-delivery of pandemic supplies linked to the transfer from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management. In 2020, auditors had already identified deficiencies in the handling of more than P67 billion in COVID-19 response funds, citing missing agreements and supporting documents for the P41.46-billion portion. The court also received findings from the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s probe conducted between 2021 and 2022. Justice Mendoza-Arcega directed both sides to submit their arguments as the case moves forward.
