NBI nabs 7 suspects selling medicines donated to poor communities

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested seven suspects accused of selling medicines for kidney ailments that were traced to be part of supplies donated to poor communities, the NBI Special Task Force (NBI-STF) said on Wednesday,

The suspects were caught in a buy-bust operation last Monday, during which they sold government medicines under the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) program to undercover agents.

The MAIP program is an initiative of the Department of Health (DOH), with the government-owned National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) being one of the implementing agencies.

NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor identified the subjects as Aliza Macalambs, Jen Tubongbanua, Clarita Selga, Maria Fe Nisnisan, Emilda Besmonte, Norhata Batua, and Virginia dela Cruz.

According to Distor, the operation was conducted based on reports made by NKTI about the talks of unauthorized selling of MAIP medicines.

After NBI-STF agents conducted an investigation, they moved on to surveillance and a test-buy operation — which proved that government medicines were indeed being sold.

The medicines the agents bought from Macalambos were Epoetin Alfa (Pronivel) and Renvela.

The agents then planned a buy-bust operation, contacting Macalambos again to order the medicines used by dialysis patients.

“On December 7, 2020, NBI-STF proceeded to the agreed meeting place and met by Subject Macalambos and Subject Tubongbanua and was later accompanied by Subjects Selga, Quimno, Besmonte, Batua, and Dela Cruz,” NBI said.

“During the transaction the operatives noticed that the subjects are sharing their stocks in order to meet the order of their customers,” it noted.

After the operation, NKTI confirmed that some of the medicines sold to the agents were once part of their inventory and were released through the MAIP program.

The NBI-STF would conduct a follow-up investigation to trace the root of this scheme.

The suspects would face charges for alleged violation of the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.

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