HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III denied on Monday, December 13, 2021, claims that they missed an opportunity for the country to obtain 50 million donated syringes from the United States (US).
Duque said there was no such thing as “donation,” stressing there was an offer from a US-based company of P411.5 million for 50 million syringes, which is over the approved budget of the Department of Health (DOH) for the said items.
He cited that accepting the offer would lead to the violation of the Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
Duque made the statement amid the claim of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. that the government had again “dropped the ball” in the bid to get more syringes, one of the vital items used in the country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination program.
“We dropped the ball again; this time offer of 50 million syringes. Discussed the need in Washington DC and got a response prepared to go into details with PH agencies but they refused to discuss the ball let alone catch it. First Pfizer, then Moderna. Ok, I see the pattern,” he said in a Twitter post.
Duque said Locsin’s statement was a “lie.”
“Wala, wala ‘yun, hindi totoo ‘yun. Kasinungalingan ‘yun, puro kasinungalingan ‘yun. Hindi totoo ‘yan. Ang gusto ni Locsin, sumunod kami sa gusto nung supplier na presyo. Ay hindi naman pwede ‘yun. Hindi naman kami g*go para gawin ‘yun. Meron tayong batas diyan — Republic Act 9184,” he said.
(No, it was all lies. It’s not true. Locsin wants us to agree to the supplier’s price, but that’s not allowed by law. We have Republic Act 9184.)
“Walang katuturan ‘yung sinasabi niya. Unang-una, nag back out ka kasi hindi nga maka-supply at that budget, bakit naman kami susunod doon, e di magga-graft naman kami,” he added.
(What Locsin was saying was nonsense. First, you backed out because you cannot supply that’s within the budget, so why would we follow that, we might be sued for graft.)
Duque said he was disappointed that Locsin was taking it on social media without clarifying it from him considering they were both members of the Cabinet.
He said he will discuss the matter with President Rodrigo Duterte Monday night, December 13.
Earlier, Health Undersecretary and National Vaccination Operations Center chairperson Myrna Cabotaje said the country has sufficient supply of syringes, which may last until the end of the year.
In 2020, Locsin said the government missed an opportunity for the early delivery of 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in the country because an official failed to perform his duty, particularly in the provision of necessary documents.
Duque immediately defended himself from the said claim, saying the DOH was not supposed to be involved in the signing of the required confidentiality disclosure agreement. (SunStar Philippines)