Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 5) — Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday debunked the latest corruption allegation of Senator Manny Pacquiao against the agency.
He said there is no truth to the claim that DOH is procuring medicines that are about to expire for full price.
The health chief said all medicine ordered by the agency has a shelf life of 12 to 36 months, as mandated by the Food and Drug Administration.
“Iligal po yun… Hindi pwedeng bababa sa 12 months so iyan ang ginagawa natin,” he said in a media briefing. “Kung merong lumabag sa panuntunan na yan, kailangang panagutin. So far wala akong alam na merong inorder o inangkat o binili ang DOH na gamot with near expiring dates.”
[Translation: That is illegal. It should not go lower than 12 months so that’s what we are doing. If someone violates that, they have to pay. So far I am not aware if DOH ordered or imported medicines nearing expiration.]
The senator recently took a jab at DOH after he was dared by President Rodrigo Duterte to expose government corruption.
The department has forwarded its budget utilization report for both Bayanihan 1 and 2 to the office of Pacquiao to prove that there are no corrupt practices in the DOH.
