Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2) — The Medical City in Pasig said Thursday there is no truth to reports the hospital was stormed by authorities to confiscate its remaining sets of personal protective equipment.
“There are news circulating that a raid of PPEs occurred in our premises on the evening of April 1. We deny this and encourage everyone to be careful in spreading unverified information,” it said in its Facebook page.
Reports circulated on Wednesday night that authorities are conducting a raid to gather all stocks of PPE and other medical supplies for COVID-19 response, claiming these are being repackaged by the national government for distribution to other medical facilities.
These unverified posts came after President Rodrigo Duterte signed an administrative order for all health-related donations to the national government or the Department of Health to be coursed through the Office of Civil Defense.
However, according to the order, direct donations to other departments, bureaus, offices, state colleges or universities, government-owned and controlled corporations or government hospitals or medical facilities need not be consolidated by the OCD.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-OCD spokesman Mark Timbal denied the raid allegations.
“May kumalat po na fake news that some hospitals were raided by government to confiscate their supplies and equipment para ipamigay sa ibang hospitals. OCD has been gathering resources through procurement and donations. What we have pooled are distributed,” he said in a message to reporters.
[Translation: There is fake news that the government is raiding some hospitals to confiscate their supplies to give to other hospitals. OCD has been gathering resources through procurement and donations. What we have pooled are distributed.]
False information about COVID-19 has been spreading rapidly online, leading authorities to crack down on some of its alleged perpetrators. Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, those who create or spread misinformation about the health crisis will be slapped with a two-month jail sentence or a fine of ₱10,000 to ₱1 million.
