RELATED: Palace defends Pharmally deals
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) — Opposition senators on Thursday slammed the Duterte administration for what they said was its attempts to divert the attention of the public away from the issue of overpriced personal protective equipment bought during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon referred to the claim of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that the Aquino administration procured more expensive PPEs compared to those bought in 2020 by the current leadership, which were priced at ₱1,700 each.
“Spoken like a true troll. It is very unmanly and desperate of Roque to even mention my name,” Drilon said in a statement. “It is very malicious, and it is a futile attempt to divert attention away from this organized plunder.”
Roque on Wednesday said the Duterte administration’s purchase of PPE sets should not be considered overpriced at ₱1,700, because his predecessor bought such items for ₱3,500 to ₱3,800 when there was no global health crisis. The spokesman then asked Drilon — an ally of the late President Benigno Aquino III and a legislator during his term — to explain the matter given that these PPEs were bought at double their market price even if there was no health crisis at that time.
“Mayroon po talagang kumita — hindi po sa administrasyon na ito,” Roque said.
[Translation: Someone really made a profit here, but not in this administration.]
This was also President Rodrigo Duterte’s defense when he addressed the nation on Monday. He even asked the Commission of Audit why the government purchases in 2015 weren’t flagged.
“They bought it at ₱3,000 plus. Atin, dito, we bought it something like, ₱1,700 lang ang bili natin. Itong last administration, nandiyan ‘yung papel hanggang ngayon. COA, hindi kayo nagtaka na noong administrasyon nung dumaan nagbili ₱3,000, ₱3,500? Ito binili ₱1,700,” he said.
[Translation: They bought it at ₱3,000 plus. We bought it at ₱1,700. The receipt from the previous administration is still here. Commission of Audit, why didn’t you question why they were able to buy it for ₱3,000, ₱3,500? We bought it for ₱1,700.]
Senator Risa Hontiveros said the government should answer questions on its purchase of “overpriced” medical supplies during the pandemic instead of pointing fingers at an administration that stepped down five years ago.
“Kung buhay ang dating Pangulo, tiyak ko na sasagutin niya ang paratang sa 23.2 million pesos na pinambili ng PPE. Sana ganun din ang kasalukuyang Pangulo sa 8.7 BILLION pesos na total cost ng mga contracts sa Pharmally,” she said in a statement.
[Translation: If President Aquino were alive, I’m sure he would answer the allegation on the P23.2 million used for PPE. I hope the sitting president answers the questions on the P8.7 BILLION contract granted to Pharmally.]
The senator also argued against Roque that possibly onerous contracts are not excusable just because the company was able to deliver its requirements.
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee is investigating the issue. Its members are questioning why a small company like Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, Corp. became the government’s biggest supplier during the health crisis. Former Budget Undersecretary Christopher Lloyd Lao awarded the ₱8.68 billion deal to the company that Hontiveros said has ties to Duterte’s former adviser Michael Yang. These medical supplies provided by Pharmally were later found by senators to be overpriced.
