Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 15) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will issue a memorandum instructing local government units (LGUs) to launch campaigns against people selling fake medicines, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.
“We will support the [Food and Drug Administration] through a memo circular to our LGUs to have this campaign against the selling of fake medicines up to the level of sari-sari stores,” said Año during President Rodrigo Duterte’s weekly Talk to the People on Monday.
The FDA reported that 78 sari-sari stories were found illegally selling medicines out of the 185 reported to the agency in three regions. Of this number, 13 stores were also discovered to be distributing fake drugs.
Sari-sari stores are prohibited from selling medicines under the counterfeit law, which penalizes violators with a minimum of six months and one day in jail, FDA Deputy General Oscar Gutierrez said.
But Gutierrez pointed out that these sari-sari stores could have also been “victims” since some LGUs actually provide them licenses to operate. He added that the FDA’s course of action was to request LGUs to release ordinances to prohibit them from carrying medicines.
The agency also flagged violations committed by online retail stores such as Lazada and Shopee. It noted that 2,202 links and/or drug products have been removed from the selling platforms since 2020.
Gutierrez said the FDA has worked with social media giant Facebook to report contents that may have violated national policies so the platform can later delete them from its site.
Duterte also cautioned the public from purchasing COVID-19 medicines online.
“I am advising (to) lay off muna kayo diyan sa online-online, maraming tulisan diyan [lay off online sites since there are many crooks there],” he said in his talk.
