AS in a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces are now coming into place. And thanks to the Commission on Audit (COA) that first raised the flag, and the follow-through of the Senate, particularly its Blue Ribbon committee, the nation will soon know the real score about the allegedly scandalous P8.7 billion worth of purchases of face masks and face shields by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).
Recalling where the problem started, it should not be forgotten that it all started when Health Secretary Francisco Duque III transferred to the PS-DBM the amount of P42 billion, with the request to buy for the department the much-needed personal protective equipment, masks and shields, for distribution to healthcare frontliners who were fighting the onslaught of COVID-19 pandemic last year.
‘There are still many issues to be answered when the Blue Ribbon hearing resumes on September 7, and we hope other Malacañang functionaries — active, retired, resigned or soon-to-resign — can be called to the hearings.’
The onus is on resigned DBM Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao to explain to the senators the department’s side of the story, and he said in his first appearance before the Blue Ribbon panel chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon that these items were bought at the lowest prices in the market. Lao also said that there was a high demand for face shields to be used by the general population during the period of April to May, 2020.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson disputed this “high demand” alibi, as he noted that the Philippines is the only country in the world which uses face shields, and mandatory at that for many establishments like supermarkets.
Minority leader Sen. Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, noted that Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. supplied face masks at P27.72 per piece when other companies offered P13.50, P16 and P17.50; coronavirus test kits at P1,720 as against P925 from other suppliers, and PPE units at P1,910 per piece as against P945 from other bidders. Senators Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos and Lacson, among others, pointed out that since Pharmally sold the items at an average cost that is nearly double that of the maximum price set by the government, some very deep and noble pockets in the officialdom were lined.
There were 11 companies from which the PS-DBM bought the overpriced items, with Pharmally the most favored with P8 billion contracts. Quite a feat for a new company, only eight months old, with a paltry paid-up capital of P599,450.32 according to SEC records, and a spurious address in a BGC condominium.
Lacson pointed out, and Lao admitted, that there was lack of due diligence on the part of the PS-DBM before the contracts to purchase were finalized, and this led to more questions such as why were short-cuts taken in purchases of such huge amounts? Was there pressure from high up?
There are still many issues to be answered when the Blue Ribbon hearing resumes on September 7, and we hope other Malacañang functionaries — active, retired, resigned or soon-to-resign — can be called to the hearings. These officials owe it to the millions of Filipino taxpayers, victims of COVID-19 one way or the other, who are already enraged with the few pieces that have fallen into place.
