President Rodrigo Duterte allowed the Department of Health (DOH) to borrow medicine as he slammed the Commission of Audit (COA) for flagging the health department for alleged deficiency in the utilization of COVID response funds.

"Borrow medicine again, do not obey that COA... COA-COA nothing will happen," Duterte said during his pre-taped Talk to The People on Monday night.

"It is an emergency. It is a matter of life or death. So you have to understand and give it a little elbow room to move, make emergency purchases, borrow," he said.

"My order to all the government (officials) especially connected with COVID, if we do not have (budget) you should borrow. I will not allow that while you do everything you can. You see the frontliners dying and you were not able to provide support," he added.

Duterte also ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to prioritize the payment of the health workers allowances and benefits.

"By the way, our frontliners prioritize them. If there is enough money, pay them," he said.

Duterte also slammed COA for flagging not only the DOH but also the other agencies of the government.

"Not only this but also the DILG I read something even to Secretary (Carlito) Galvez, they were also flagged... flagged down, stop that flagging. You make a report. Do not flag and do not publish it because it will condemn the agency or the person that you are flagging," he said.

"I don't like that flagging-flagging. It creates a conundrum, you know its political season already. There are criticisms in newspapers... as if they are the epitome of propriety and decency," he added. Robina Asido/DMS