Thread by @lianbuan

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continues its hearing on the DOH/DBM-PS audit of pandemic funds. DBM-PS resigned Usec Llloyd Christopher Lao, who procured the "overpriced" face masks and face shields, is present under subpoena. @rapplerdotcom

DBM-PS under scrutiny. Senate Pres Tito Sotto says he would like to clarify role of DBM-PS. He asks: Are PPEs common use supplies that do not necessitate a MOA?

DBM-PS procured face masks and face shields. DOH also transferred P41 billion for purchase of PPEs without MOA.

Sen Bong Go deliver opening statement, but Sen Gordon says Go must go straight to addressing ties to Usec Lao because other issues will be discussed later. Go insisted to finish opening statement about Duterte's anti-corruption drive: "I urge COA and Ombudsman to investigate."

Go: Kailanman ay hindi ko naging aide si Usec Lao, he was assigned to PMS. Iba ang aide, iba ang nakatrabaho.

DBM-PS website says Lao was in PMS-SAP. The controversial frigate deal letter was also signed by Lao representing SAP. rappler.com/newsbreak/inve…

Sen Franklin Drilon begins the interpellation. He goes to the DOH first, and confirms with Duque that DOH was given P103 billion solely for pandemic response, split evenly between Bayanihan 1 and 2 funding.

Drilon: Isn't DOH better equipped to procure PPEs rather than DBM-PS?
Duque: We also did procure, but owing to the volume needed, hindi namin kakayanin kasi konti lang ang member ng aming bids and awards committee. Punong puno na po. We needed help.

Drilon: Were these PPEs in the inventory of the DBM-PS?
Duque: Majority of these were included in the GPBB resolution identifying these as common use supplies and equipment (CSEs).
Drilon: That's not my question, my question is were these in inventory.

Drilon: You mean the P41 billion worth of face masks, shields, etc, in the inventory of DBM-PS? I doubt it.
Lao: Before the classification of these items as CSEs, these were not in inventory.

Drilon: Therefore, what DOH did was to secure services of DBM-PS as procuring agency, you did not sell your inventory as you do for ballpens?
Lao: After it was declared as CSEs, they asked DBM-PS to procure. You cannot buy directly from us unless there is MOA.

COA flagged the DOH transfer to DBM-PS as lacking MOA. Lao says that since there was already a GPBB reso declaring the PPEs as common use supplies, there was no need for MOA. Drilon is citing the Procurement Law IRR which says MOA needed.

Drilon says nothing in procurement law dispenses the need for a MOA. Drilon also says that former health execs have said that DOH is able to do a P41 billion procurement. Duque insisted their bidding capabilities during the pandemic were limited.

Drilon: Prudence would require that if you move P41 billion to another agency, MOA is needed.
Duque: There were some documents. The execution of the MOA was not required since items were already declared common use supplies by a GPPB reso.

Sen Ping Lacson shows the aforementioned GPPB reso, says common use supplies did not include face shields. He asks: Where did DBM-PS got authorization to procure face shields?

DBM-PS procured 1.3 million face shields on April 22, 2020, for P120 per piece. That's worth P158.125 million. Having difficulty selling these at original high price, by end of 2020, there were 484k face shields in depot which could have generated P60 million in govt revenues.

Duque says they're waiting for a SARO from DBM – which may be today – to release P300 million which would cover special risk allowance (SRA) of around 20,000 medical front liners.

Filipino Nurses United president Maristela Abenojar says they're worried about 20,000 that would be covered by impending release of SRA, saying that "in principle dapat lahat tumanggap, e may 1.8 million na health care workers, nung nakaraan ang nabigyan lang ay 360k."

Senator Grace Poe: Someone must be held accountable. Kung walang masasampolan, paulit ulit lang 'to.

Senator Sonny Angara says magna carta for public health care workers has provision for hazard pay: Can we not give them hazard pay under magna carta?

Vaccine czar Calvito Galvez says vaccines will be equitably distributed to other regions.

Galvez says bigger volumes of vaccine doses will be delivered in the 4th quarter of the year.

Galvez promises that vaccination will be refocused to the regions for the upcoming doses.

DBM OIC Tina Canda confirms they have released to DOH P300 million to cover special risk allowance (SRA) of around 20,000 medical front liners. Canda says she expects DOH to release these starting this afternoon.

Sen Ping Lacson steers the hearing back to the issue of the DBM-PS. There was a large chunk dedicated to threshing out issues on vaccines and hazard pay. The Senate has a 3pm session.

Lacson points out that overstocking and expiring drugs and medicines is a recurring DOH issue, says there's probably a mafia within the department, and that a secretary of health must put its foot down to solve the issue.

Lacson spent most of his time asking DOH about other issues. Lacson says he will just interpellate Lloyd Christopher Lao next time.

Gordon says the next hearing would be on Friday, where they would continue interpellating Lao.