Kiko chides ex-DBM exec Lao for ‘smirking’ while explaining face masks’ SRP

Senator Francis Pangilinan chided Thursday former Budget undersecretary Christopher Lloyd Lao after he caught the latter “smirking” while he explained his concern on the suggested retail price (SRP) of face masks procured by the government in 2020.

During the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon hearing on the alleged overpriced pandemic supplies, Senator Risa Hontiveros pointed out that the DBM was wrong when it used SRP as a basis for bulk procurement, arguing that the price applies for the purchase of face masks per piece.

Lao stood by DBM’s decision, saying the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) issued a resolution directing them to base their procurement from the previous purchases of the Department of Health, the SRP set by the Department of Trade and Industry, and preliminary and market scanning.

But Pangilinan was quick to point out that even Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the SRP is for the retail procurement of the face masks and not for wholesale purchases.

“Just for the record, no other than Secretary Duque, he has already manifested when we asked him the basis of purchasing these masks that the SRP is purely retail not wholesale, for the record. They were buying millions, that’s not retail, no matter how you look at it,” the senator manifested.

At this point, Pangilinan noticed that Lao was covering his mouth while smiling.

“Are you smirking, Mr. Lao?” he asked the former Procurement Service-DBM head.

Lao said he was “smiling” after then he was asked by Pangilinan why he was laughing.

“I find it humorous, Mr. Chairman,” Lao told Pangilinan.

Agitated by Lao’s answer, the senator said overpricing and deaths due to the substandard medical goods are no laughing matter.

“It is not humorous when you overprice, Mr. Lao. It is not humorous when people are dying because of substandard materials,” Pangilinan said.

Lao cut Pangilinan and tried to explain his side while pointing his fingers at the screen.

“People are dying. That’s why we procured it for them,” Lao replied in an obviously agitated voice.

Pangilinan insisted that some of the medical goods procured by PS-DBM are substandard, which Lao quickly denied.

“How do you explain, Mr. Lao, how do you explain half a billion worth of testing kits expired under your watch? It’s not funny, this is not funny, Mr. Lao. This is not funny for the record and I’m done,” he said.

During the previous hearing, Pangilinan disclosed that there are some P550 million worth of COVID-19 kits procured by the government expired at the time the country was struggling to test suspected coronavirus patients and their close contacts.

Senators have been investigating the purchase of COVID-19 supplies made by the PS-DBM last year, during which Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation bagged more than P8 billion in government contracts for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPEs), which were alleged to be overpriced.—AOL, GMA News