Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday denied that he ever claimed that personal protective equipment (PPE) sets purchased during the previous administration were overpriced.
This came after Senator Franklin Drilon called out Roque for supposedly attempting to divert attention from the alleged “overpriced” purchase of medical supplies under the Duterte administration.
Roque earlier said PPE sets purchased during the current administration could not be overpriced since they only cost over PHP1,700 to PHP1,900, while those bought during previous administration cost PHP3,500 each.
“Hindi ko po sinasabi na overpriced iyong PHP3,500. Ang sinasabi ko po, hindi overpriced yung PHP1,950. Kung hindi overpriced ang PHP3,500, bakit magiging overpriced ang PHP1,950 (I’m not saying that PPEs that cost PHP3,500 are overpriced. What I am saying is that the PPEs priced at PHP1,950 is not overpriced. If PHP3,500 is not overpriced, why would PHP1,950 be overpriced),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
He urged Drilon to focus on the issue of allegations of overpricing.
“Focus na lang po tayo sa tunay na issue; nasaan po ang overpricing? Wala (Let’s just focus on the real issues; where is overpricing? None)! So, let’s leave it at that at saka sana po kung tayo’y magdi-debate, pag-usapan na lang natin ang facts (and I hope that if we ever get to debate, we only talk about facts),” he added.
Roque also downplayed allegations that an official of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation was issued with an arrest warrant for falsifying accounts and financial statements.
Pharmally is a small firm that secured over PHP8 billion worth of government contracts for the procurement of Covid-19 medical supplies.
“Sa batas po (Under the law) we have a principle that a corporation has a separate personality, separate and distinct from the stockholders. Eh ang nag-bid po iyong korporasyon so hindi naman po kinakailangan busisiin talaga iyong personalidad nasa likod ng korporasyon kasi nga po separate personality iyon (The corporation joined the bid so there is no need to assess the personality behind the corporation because it’s a separate personality),” Roque said.
He said the identity of the bidder would be important “if the bidder submitted a bid in his individual capacity.”
Roque also reiterated that Pharmally’s paid-up capital of only PHP625,000 is “immaterial”, noting that the company was still able to deliver.
He said the primordial consideration during the outbreak of Covid-19 was to procure PPE sets as soon as possible.
Embattled ex-DBM exec still in PH
Meanwhile, Roque also confirmed that former Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) head, is still in the country.
Lao is currently under investigation over his role in the purchase of Covid-19 pandemic supplies in 2020 from Pharmally.
“Hindi ko po alam kung nasaan siya, pero nakausap ko po siya sa telepono. Walang indikasyon na wala siya sa bansa (I don’t know where he is, but I was able to talk with him over the phone. There is no indication that he is not in the country),” he said.
Senators earlier questioned how Lao secured his former post, speculating he is well-connected.
However, Lao insisted that no one recommended him and he only applied for the position.
The lawmakers questioned how Lao secured his former post, speculating he is well-connected.
Lao insisted that no one recommended him and he only applied for the position.
The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier flagged the lack of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to support the Department of Health’s (DOH) transfer of PHP41.8 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) to procure PPE sets, including face masks and face shields.
Source: Philippines News Agency
