DEFLECTION | Duterte denies overpricing in PPE procurement, hits PNoy administration anew

September 3, 2021 , 11:20 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(September 3, 2021) – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday flatly denied the overpricing in face masks and face shields even after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the expensive supplies, shielding his allies from criticisms in the middle of Senate inquiries.

Duterte insisted that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had no other choice last year due to the limited manufacturers providing personal protective equipment (PPE) at a much lower price, citing the law of supply and demand.

“Were the purchases of masks overpriced? ‘Yun ang tanong. Ang sagot is, no they are not,” said Duterte in his second public address this week. “It’s not accurate to compare the price of surgical masks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with the period when the supply of surgical masks began to stabilize.”

The Department of Health transferred P42 billion to the DBM Procurement Service (PS-DBM) last year to buy face masks, face shields, test kits, and other medical supplies. But COA pointed out that they were too expensive since the face masks and face shields were pegged at P27 and P122 per piece, respectively.

Further reports revealed that the biggest supplier, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, had links to the administration through Duterte’s former economic adviser Michael Yang. The company, which only had a paid-up capital of P625,000, obtained P8.68 billion worth of contracts with the government.

Since the Senate probe started, Duterte has taken on a defensive stand to protect his appointees, particularly former DBM undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, who approved the anomalous deals. Duterte has slammed senators for grilling his cohorts and even threatened to bar his officials from attending the hearings.

Duterte, to deflect criticisms, also unearthed the PPE supplies bought by the administration of the late former President Noynoy Aquino III.

“Look at the price, it’s P3,500. ‘Yung atin is P1,900. So sabihin nila ‘yung 2014 wala pa mang pandemic noon, and yet they bought PPEs at P3,500 a piece,” said Duterte, echoing the narrative his supporters have been circulating on social media.

Cabinet members have also supported Duterte’s shaky claims, stressing that the PS-DBM diligently scanned the market to find the lowest cost for COVID-19 supplies even if it was allowed not to go through public bidding.

“Kumuha sila (PS-DBM) ng price quotes sa iba’t ibang mga supplier at doon nila nakita na ang pinakamababa ay P1,950 ang bid. Bagama’t gusto ng supplier ng 30% down payment, (pinilit ng PS-DBM) na babayaran lang ‘yan kung nakarating na sa bansa,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

Senators, however, were not convinced with the repeated claims of the administration since the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) was able to find cheaper alternatives at that time. PRC, a humanitarian organization headed by Sen. Richard Gordon, bought face shields at around P50 per piece at the start of the COVID-19 crisis.

(PM)

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