PRESIDENT Duterte on Monday night said he is taking “full responsibility” for the government’s procurement of alleged overpriced personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to boost the country’s campaign against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, but stressed the purchases were more “expensive” than “overpriced.”
The Senate last week questioned the Department of Health and the Department of Budget and Management over the alleged overpriced personal protective equipment bought by government, as well as COVID-19 testing machines and kits. Several lawmakers said they are holding Health Secretary Francisco Duque III accountable for the alleged irregularity.
The President, in a public address late Monday after his meeting with members of the Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, recalled he has ordered his officials led by Duque to do what they can to cushion the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, including making purchases for equipment and items regardless of the cost.
“So gusto ko lang malaman ng sambayanang Pilipino na I take full responsibility, na ang utos ko na dalian mo (So I want the Filipino people to know, I take full responsibility, I ordered them to hurry up) … and I remember saying it, I do not care whether you go and steal, borrow or kill a person to get what — what needs to be done,” he said.
Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, during the meeting, explained that government bought a nine-piece PPE set which is now being used by the government for its frontliners. Lao said the most expensive part of the PPE is the coverall or what he described as an “Ebola-level” suit.
Unlike the usual cover-all, he said, the one bought by government and is being used now is lightweight, hand-woven and heat-sealed, which prevents fluids from being absorbed into the clothing or skin of a person.
“This is the coverall. It has a blue strip which is very, this is one of the marks of a very expensive coverall, protection gear. This is what we call as Ebola level. At Ebola level, it can actually stop even air transmissible viruses,” Lao said.
He said this coverall is imported and more expensive at P1,100 compared to the locally-made ones that cost P850. He said some locally-produced PPE sets are cheaper because they are not medical grade, not medically safe, and are made of fabric that can get wet.
He said local PPE producers would soon incorporate materials imported from China into their product which would be made available by June.
The President, however, said he’d rather have the more expensive PPE sets that can provide added security to the frontliners than the cheaper one that put the lives of the users at risk.
Lao said the government buys only high quality, medical grade PPE sets that follow international standards and those set by the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. He said using low quality PPE and other medical supplies and equipment could lead to big lawsuits.
NBI PROBE
The President, in the same event, said he wants the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate a couple who allegedly tried to sell overpriced medical equipment to government amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“NBI should study the matter very, very carefully because this son of a b**** businessmen, whether it’s really an issue of humanity and their greed, the hoarding, you cannot, it’s part of the business practices which you may call not even obnoxious, it’s repulsive to the human mind when you start to think about it,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
He said he also wants to know if there is corruption involved in the procurement of medical supplies and other equipment.
Duque said he does not know the Co couple, owners of Omnibus Bio-Medical Systems Inc. which claims to be the exclusive distributor of Sansure medical equipment in the Philippines.
Lao explained Omnibus was among the companies that joined a bidding for the supplying of automated extraction machine to the government but lost to a Hong Kong-based company that offered a discounted price for the same item.
Lao said the Cos are complaining that the government did not respect their exclusive distributorship but said the officers of Sansure Corporation visited the country last week and offered to provide the items at a lower or discounted price.
He said there was a discussion on whether to continue to course the purchase through Omnibus but the government refused it.
He said Omnibus placed the government in a bind by offering a high price and insisting that the deal should be coursed through it being the exclusive distributor.
“I made a statement, categorically expressed statement that we are no longer willing to discuss with Sansure if they go through Omnibus because they were given a chance before when the government really needed it, and they gave us a very high price and threw the ball to us that, ‘You can only deal with us because we’re the exclusive distributor in the Philippines.’…Second, they should pay for what they have done before kasi we, gipit na gipit tayo (we are in a bind),” he added.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, in the same meeting, said the couple may have violated the an-profiteering law and the Bayanihan Act as the couple tried to “blackmail” government into buying the expensive items.
“I think from what we heard from at least Project Ark, this is very serious because the only source that we can get these PCR machines and kit is from Sansure now and there was really almost an attempt to blackmail us into buying something very expensive,” he said.
Roque, in a briefing on Tuesday, said the President’s pronouncements on the purchase of expensive PPE does not mean that probe on the procurement of other alleged overpriced medical equipment would not proceed.
“Ang pinapaimbestigahan po iyong mga extraction machines at mga test kits dahil karamihan po dito lalung-lalo na iyong test kits, galing lang po sa isang kumpanya sa Tsina at iba-iba po ang presyo depende kung sino nagbenta. So, iyon po ang pinaimbestigahan ng ating Presidente (What is being investigated is the extraction machines and test kits because of many of these items, especially the test kits, came from a company in China but the prices differ depending on who distributes or sells it. So that is what the President wants investigated.),” he said.
`TOUCHY’
President Duterte advised Duque not to be “touchy” amid criticisms leveled against him.
He asked asked Duque if the COVID-19 in the Philippines is already under a “second, third, fourth or fifth wave” or “no wave at all” to which the latter replied “we’re actually on the first major wave, major of sustained community transmission.”
Duque then proceeded to explain that his previous statement that the country is already in the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was due to an article of Dr. John Wong, an adviser of the IATF-EID, that “he considers the three first cases in the Philippines, although imported, would represent a minor wave.”
Duque got flak for saying the country was on the second wave. He withdrew his statement the following day. Duque has been under attack for his alleged incompetence in handling the government’s efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. Calls for his resignation or relief continue.
Duterte told Duque not be to too “touchy.” He said he understood Duque and he knows that under democracy where everyone enjoys their freedom, some criticisms and attacks can become personal.
The Philippine Hospital Association expressed approval of Duque’s handling of the pandemic.
PHA president Dr. Jaime Almora said they are not calling for a change in the DOH leadership unlike the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPi).
“I would say there is no clamor for drastic changes in the leadership of DOH right now,” said Almora.
“We are happy with how things are going. We are happy that we are able to control the spread of the infection. At least we are able to contain it in Manila. And, in the provinces, we are not seeing an increase in cases in the provinces,” said Almora.
To note, the PHA has as members both public and private hospitals.
PHA’s statement comes a day after the 744-strong PHAPi asked President Duterte to replace Duque with someone “who can deliver the goods better in addressing the health concerns of the country.”
CORRUPTION
Opposition Sen. Francis Pangilinan said it will not come as a surprise if corruption will continue under this administration since the likes of Duque are being tolerated and defended by President Duterte.
“I am not surprised if it’s business as usual and the plunder of people’s money continues. Those who have been involved in corruption and wrongdoing are tolerated and not punished. The administration did the same to Sinas, Faeldon, Tulfo, Albayalde, Calida, Aguirre, and others,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
Pangilinan was referring to past and present officials of the Duterte administration who have been allegedly involved in irregularities but were left unpunished.
NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas was apparently absolved by Duterte when he was not relieved from his post despite a clear of violation of quarantine protocols when he celebrated his birthday early this month in Camp Bagong Diwa.
Nicanor Faeldon is former chief of the Bureau of Corrections who was involved in the early release of convicts.
Wanda Tulfo-Teo is former tourism secretary who entered into an advertising deal with the TV program of her brothers.
Oscar Albayalde is former PNP chief who reportedly got involved in the illegal activities of “ninja cops.”
Jose Calida is the current Solicitor General whose family-owned security agency reportedly entered into irregular contracts with the government, which is a case of conflict of interest.
Vitaliano Aguirre II is former justice secretary who resigned after the Department of Justice prosecutors dismissed drug trade charges against self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and his alleged partner Cebu-based trader Peter Lim, which earned the ire of the President.
“Filipinos are forced to go hungry, without food, without jobs but corruption persists in the face of a pandemic?,” Pangilinan said.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon said he hopes that the statement of President Duterte defending Duque on the overpriced purchases of medical equipment and services “does not in any manner mean to absolve Secretary Duque.”
“The issue raised against Secretary Duque is not the expensive PPE and equipment but overpricing DOH supplies and PhilHealth’s testing package. Secretary Duque has been remiss in his sworn duties as a public servant that endangered billions of public funds. He has become a liability,” Drilon said in a statement.
Sen. Christopher Go, committee on health and demography chair, called for hearing to address weaknesses in the country’ health system.
Pangilinan and Drilon said a Senate investigation is also necessary. — With Gerard Naval and Raymond Africa
