House committee recommends raps vs. Duque, others over COVID-19 response issues

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has recommended filing charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other officials over issues in the government's COVID-19 response.

In Committee Report No. 1393 dated December 16, 2021 which was released to the media only on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, the committee endorsed the filing of a complaint for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9485 or the “Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007” against Duque, former Food and Drug Administration chief Eric Domingo, and FDA’s Center for Drug Regulation and Research Director Joyce Cirunay. 

The committee cited possible violation of Section 8, which ensures access to frontline services including acceptance of applications and requests, and action of concerned offices.

The committee also recommended filing a complaint against Duque and Domingo for alleged violation of Republic Act No. 6713 or the "Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees”.

House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Committee Report No. 1393 by GMA News Online on Scribd

Under Section 4 of the code of conduct, public officials and employees must have commitment to public interest, professionalism, justness and sincerity, political neutrality, responsiveness to the public, nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy, and simple living.

Based on the report, the Committee addressed the DOH and FDA’s supposed contradictory issuances and guidelines as well as reliance on just a few members of medical professional associations.

These issuances appear "arbitrary and unreasonable" in light of the circumstances the country was facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the committee.

The DOH and FDA were questioned on their seeming bias for the guidelines by professional societies like the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases(PSMID) without any review.

Under FDA’s “Guidelines for the Registration of Drug Products under Emergency Use (DEU) for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)”, drug products would be eligible for a DEU if PSMID has recommended it.

“This also raises concerns that the PSMID may have excessive influence over the policies issued and decisions made by the DOH,” the report said.

It also discussed FDA’s supposed failure to implement measures to streamline its processes that resulted in registration backlog.

In April 2021, the committee conducted a hearing to discuss the guidelines and policies of the DOH and FDA that may hamper public health service delivery, especially amid the pandemic.

Other recommendations

The committee also recommended “structural reforms” in the DOH and the Department of Science and Technology.

“And to empower the DOH by equipping it with people with relevant competence and skills that are at par with those possessed by experts in the medical profession,” it said.

It also urged the FDA to revert to the 1997 National Guidelines for registration so local drug producers can immediately respond to shortage of investigational drugs and medications during pandemic or other similar emergency.

The committee wanted to pass a law pushing to improve the local pharmaceutical industry to ensure sufficient domestic supply of medical drugs and other therapies.

“The Committee also supports the recommendation of medical experts to strengthen domestic science research capability, particularly in the fields of molecular sciences, virology, immunology, and microbiology,” it said.

“Thus, the Committee commends the approval on third and final reading of House Bill No. 9559, or the Virology Institute of the Philippines Act,” it added.

Reactions

Domingo pointed out that the evaluation and approval of COVID-19 drug products were being done in a proper and timely manner.

“All applications for COVID drugs were evaluated properly and approved in a timely manner  based on scientific evidence of quality, safety and efficacy,” he told GMA News Online in a message sent Wednesday.

GMA News Online has contacted Duque and Cirunay for comment but has yet to receive their replies. —KG, GMA News