DSWD ready to face Senate probe into 'Yolanda' donations
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it welcomes and accepts the Senate inquiry into donations for victims of super Typhoon Yolanda.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman said the agency is ready to face the probe called by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago following the release of findings of the Commission on Audit (COA).
"This (referring to the Senate probe) will give us the opportunity to clear the issues and to explain further our programs and services and the positive changes these efforts have made in the lives of the beneficiaries," Soliman said.
"We are not hiding anything. In fact, we thank Sen. Santiago for this because she is giving us the best platform to explain all the alleged controversies," she added.
Soliman said the probe will help end allegations and misconceptions "unfair" to DSWD personnel, who worked on the post-disaster operations for the survivors.
The DSWD chief slammed "negative reports" implying anomalies, saying her staff risked their lives, with some were even injured, in the relief operations.
She said the COA's audit results did not indicate any irregularity but paved way for clarification to promote transparency of transactions in the government.
Soliman also noted that the COA acknowledged the DSWD's response to the questionable points raised in the report.
"They (COA) included these in their final report but were missed out by media," Soliman said.
She said P73 billion in pledges went directly to the Philippine government since there were non-governmental organizations and multi-lateral organizations which directly received donations in their relief operations.
Soliman explained only P1.1 billion in donations went to the DSWD 83.2 percent of which were utilized in programs for the victims in the different affected regions as of Sept. 14, 2015.
The DSWD noted that the remaining 16 percent of the P1.1 billion was allocated to other intended programs to ensure that donations for Yolanda victims are utilized as intended.
Santiago earlier called for a Senate inquiry into the donations reportedly unused for the victims of the record-breaking typhoon in 2013.
The senator is set to file a resolution to conduct a probe into the findings of the COA on Monday.
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