The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of charges against the head of the Food and Drug Administration — Center for Drug Regulation and Research (FDA — CDRR) for sitting on hundreds of Automatic Renewal (AR) drug applications.
In its motu propio Disposition dated June 8, 2021 addressed to Ombudsman Samuel Martires, ARTA recommended 412 counts of failure to render government services within the prescribed processing time under Section 21 (e) of the Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 against FDA-CDRR director Jesusa Joyce Cirunay.
This, after the red tape watchdog found a “prima facie case” following Cirunay’s admission that “there has been delay in the processing of applications before her office.”
The said admission was stated in Cirunay’s reply letters to ARTA’s May 11 Show Cause Order, which gave her seven) working days to explain why no administrative or criminal case should be filed against her.
The Authority noted that FDA’s Citizen’s Charter only provides 20 days for the release and processing of applications for renewal of registration from receipt of the complete requirements.
It can be recalled that some of the AR drug applications have been with FDA — CDRR as far back as 2014.
