More hearings needed on ‘overpriced’ medical goods -Lacson

More Senate hearings are needed to fully uncover the alleged anomalies behind the supposed overpriced medical supplies procured by the Philippine government, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Saturday.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is currently looking into the purchase of at least P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and PPEs by the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (DBM-PS) with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Another hearing was scheduled on Tuesday, September 21, but the senator doesn't want the probe to stop there.

"I don't think one more hearing will be sufficient para makita ang ibang issues na kalakip nito... Maraming lumalabas na information. Hindi pa nakatanong karamihan na senador. Marami pang gusto tanungin,” he said in a statement.

(I don't think one more hearing will be enough to thresh out the issues. There is so much information coming out. And not all senators have had their turn to ask questions.)

Meanwhile, Lacson also affirmed his full support for the investigation as  President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades continue against Blue Ribbon chair Senator Richard Gordon.

Lacson stressed that the investigation is not targeting Duterte or anyone else and only seeks to get to the bottom of the corruption hounding the P42 billion transfer of funds from the Health Department to the DBM-PS.

"Ang concern namin ay ang issues na lumalabas. Kaya sabi ko basta tungkol sa inquiry, sinusuportahan namin nang lubos ang chairman ng Blue Ribbon Committee,” he said.

(Our concern revolves around the issue of corruption. That is why I said that as far as the inquiry looking into irregularities, we support the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee.)

"May lumalabas, in spite of resource persons’ refusal to cooperate, unti-unti naliliwanagan natin ang story behind paglipat ng P42 bilyon ng DOH sa PS-DBM,” he added.

(In spite of the resource persons' refusal to cooperate, the facts are slowly emerging on the transfer of P42 billion from the DOH to the PS-DBM.)

The Senate recently found that Pharmally officials have acquired luxury vehicles after they bagged contracts from the government

Lacson also said that the Executive Department should support the Senate probe, especially since Duterte himself had said he wanted to eradicate corruption.

"Hindi ito namumuntirya ng kung sinong tao. Ang pinupuntirya rito misuse ng public funds. After all isa lang sinisigaw natin, lahat tayo ngayon anti-corruption na,” he said.

(The investigation is targeting not personalities but the issue of corruption. After all, we are all after the same thing - to be anti-corruption.) -MDM, GMA News