Lloyd Christopher Lao, the former officer-in-charge of the Department of Budget and Management – Procurement Service (PS-DBM), was apprehended in Davao City on Wednesday, as reported by the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
According to a police report, the CIDG executed an arrest warrant issued by the Sandiganbayan on September 12 for violations of the anti-graft and corrupt practices law at approximately 11 a.m.
The bail has been established at P90,000. Following his arrest, Lao was taken to the CIDG Regional Field Unit 11 office for documentation and appropriate processing, as stated by the CIDG.
The Office of the Ombudsman in August initiated graft proceedings against Lao and former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III concerning an alleged unlawful transfer of funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The criminal complaint submitted to the Sandiganbayan asserts that the Department of Health (DOH) unlawfully transferred P41 billion to the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) in 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, without any legitimate justification.
This funding was intended for the acquisition of medical supplies necessary for pandemic response, which included detection kits, nucleic acid extraction machines, mechanical ventilators, personal protective equipment, surgical masks, cadaver bags, and various testing kits.#
