Duque to Duterte: I don't know couple behind allegedly overpriced medical equipment

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has denied knowing the couple who allegedly offered vital medical equipment at a very high price to the Philippine government amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a televised briefing on Tuesday past midnight, President Rodrigo Duterte sought confirmation from Duque about the Co couple that supposedly offered overpriced supplies to the government.

“I do not know these two personalities, itong Co,” Duque replied.

Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Lao confirmed that the Co couple owned the Omnibus Biomedical Systems Inc., the exclusive distributor of Sansure in the Philippines, which offered extraction machines at P4.3 million.

“During the bid they did not win because a foreign corporation, Hong Kong-based, which is also an exclusive distributor of Sansure in Hong Kong sold it to us, ‘yung mga kits. So natalo po sila sa bidding but they are complaining why are we not respecting their exclusive distributorship,” Lao said.

Lao added that he told Sansure officials that the government was not willing to procure their products through Omnibus due to the overpriced initial offer.

“If we allow them to distribute now at a lower price, we’re giving them a reward for what they had done before. Now that we can go direct to Sansure, we suggest that we bypass them because we can get it cheaper,” he explained.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Co couple must be investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for profiteering, hoarding, and “almost blackmailing” the government into buying their overpriced products.

“NBI should study the matter very very carefully kasi alam mo itong mga p— inang negosyanteng to, when there is really an issue of humanity and greed, ‘yung hoarding… it’s part of the business practices,” Duterte said. -NB, GMA News