Online personality, 12 others nabbed over illegal sale of COVID-19 therapy drug

An online personality and 12 other individuals on Saturday were arrested over the illegal sale of overpriced medicine used on patients suffering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to John Consulta’s report on “24 Oras,” online personality Joyce Tadeo was among those arrested for selling the anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab. She is currently at Camp Crame.

“Crime ito na immoral and unethical kasi isipin mo, mamatay na nga ‘yung mga tao, pinagkakaperahan mo pa,” Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Police Major General Alberto Ferro said.

Aside from a lack of a permit for selling medicine, the CIDG said the suspects sold the medicine at an inflated price.

“Ito pong 80mg, ginawa nilang from P8,000 to P25,000 while ‘yung 400 mg from P28,000 ginawa nilang P85,000,”

(They sold this 80 mg from P8,000 to P25,000 while they sold this 400mg at P85,000 instead of P28,000.)

The CIDG alleged that the suspects operated like fixers outside of hospitals who wait for individuals desperate to obtain the medicine.

Ferro said the suspects will be charged with violation of the Price Act or Profiteering as well as the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.

The CIDG is identifying the source of the tocilizumab.

Meanwhile, authorities retrieved P1.2 million worth of the medicine.

Tocilizumab is still undergoing a solidarity trial with the World Health Organization to determine if it will help critical and severe cases. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News