Senate to investigate alleged overpricing of medical supplies

MANILA, Philippines — Senators on Monday deplored the overpricing of medical equipment for the Department of Health (DOH), as Sen. Panfilo Lacson claimed on Sunday, days before a planned Senate inquiry on the matter.

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, Senate health committee chair, said he would demand an explanation from the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other agencies at Tuesday’s hearing by the Senate committee of the whole.

Lacson told the Inquirer on Sunday that he had received information that the DOH had procured “grossly overpriced” medical supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), for health workers attending to COVID-19 patients.

He said the price of the swabbing system used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for suspected coronavirus cases were also jacked up.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the purchases were made by the DBM, which has been sought for comment since Sunday.

Go said in a Viber message to the Inquirer, “The funds made available to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the needs of our people at this crucial time should be accounted for — up to the last centavo — and the public deserves to know how it is spent.”

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said, “It’s unconscionable how some individuals could even think of exploiting the purchase of medical supplies for their selfish ends, if reports are true.”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said, “It’s very disappointing and depressing to know that there are public officials who take advantage of the people’s crisis. They should be jailed and then throw away the keys.”

Sen. Sonny Angara said the Senate blue ribbon committee should look into the matter and that those involved should be charged in the Office of the Ombudsman.

According to Lacson, the difference in the prices of the medical supplies “runs to hundreds of millions of pesos, if not billions [of pesos] … compared to those bought by private foundations and organizations.”

For example, he said the DOH paid $32 for each unit of a swabbing system, which could be bought for $12 at cost from China, or a whopping difference of about 170 percent.