SINUPALPAL at kinuwestiyon ni Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor ang motibo ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros matapos akusahan ang gobyerno na bumili ng overpriced na personal protective equipment (PPE) gayung noong panahon ni dating Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III ay bumili ang mga ito ng mas mahal na proteksyon ng medical frontliners.
Ginawa ni Defensor ang pahayag matapos akusahan ni Hontiveros ang Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na bumili ng overpriced na PPEs kaya nawalan umano ng tinatayang P1 billion ang taumbayan.
“I think the ‘Yellows’ are trying to shame the Duterte administration to keep the opposition’s own shortcomings in flagging anomalous transactions during the term of former President Noynoy Aquino,” ani Defensor.
Ayon sa mambabatas, noong panahon ni Aquino ay bumili ang Department of Health (DOH) ng PPEs sa Rebmann, Inc. sa halagang P3,500.00 per set partikular na noong Setyembre 2015.
Muling bumili aniya ang DOH noong panahon ni Aquino ng PPEs ng mas mahal sa halagang P3,864 noong 2016 at mas mataas ng 97% hanggang 118% sa kaparehong PPEs na binili ng DBM sa halagang P1,773.51 per set.
“Senator Hontiveros questions the alleged P200 overpriced without proof, but she’s tight-lipped when her colleagues in the former administration bought PPEs at twice today’s prices,” ani Defensor.
Ayon sa mambabatas, mula nang magkaroon ng pandemya, nag-aagawan ang mga bansa sa mga PPE mula nang magkaroon ng pandemya kaya hindi maiiwasang tumaas ang presyo ng mga kagamitang ito.
“Claims of overpricing are untrue. At the time of DBM’s questioned purchases between March and May this year, the Philippines and the whole world were in panic mode.
Each country was scrambling for PPEs and facemasks and were fighting over limited supply. Even first world countries like the United States and Great Britain didn’t have enough protective gear for their frontliners,” ayon pa kay Defensor.
“It’s no secret that between March and May 2020 there was extremely high demand for PPEs. As the epicenter of COVID-19 at that time, China itself was prioritizing its needs over other countries.
Following the law of supply and demand, it was expected that prices of protective gear would go through the roof. Since it was a seller’s market, goverment had no choice but to bite the bullet,” dagdag pa nito.
Maswerte pa aniya ang Pilipinas dahil nakabili umano ng sapat na PPEs ang DBM kahit nagkakaubusan ng supply. (BERNARD TAGUINOD)
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