Roque: Billions worth of medical supplies from Pharmally saved lives

Malacañang said Monday more health workers would have died amid the COVID-19 pandemic if the government did not buy medical supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the argument in defending the government's decision to buy medical supplies from Pharmally, days after company official Krizle Mago admitted during a Senate committee hearing that they changed the expiry dates of face shields bought by the government for health workers.

"Kung hindi natin 'yan binili, mas marami sanang health workers na ang nasawi dahil sa COVID-19 (If we did not buy these, more health workers would have died)," Roque said during a taped meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte aired on Tuesday.

"Even one life saved for billions we spent was well worth it because the Filipino is worth spending for," Roque added.

Roque then said that the Department of Health gave clearance that such face shields were pursuant to World Health Organization standards.

"Kung totoo po 'yun (Mago's claims), dapat panagutin. Maliit lang naman ang halaga ng face shield (The cost of face shield is not much. If Mago is telling the truth, people should be held liable)," Roque said.

"What is most important here is kahit kelan pa minanufacture, lahat po 'yan nagamit ng health workers at naging dahilan para maisalba ang buhay ng medical frontliners (The bottomline here is these purchases saved the lives of health workers, regardless of when these face shields were manufactured)," Roque added.

Before the Senate conducted a probe into the government's purchases of pandemic supplies from Pharmally, local manufacturers appealed for the government to buy their products since it was the government which asked them to repurpose their resources for COVID-19 response. 

Roque, however, maintained that the Senate probe is all about grandstanding.

"This is in aid of election," Roque added.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is looking into the alleged overpriced pandemic items bought by the government last year. —KG, GMA News