Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. didn’t follow standard procedures when it delivered 500,000 face masks without a request or purchase order from the government, a former employee of the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM) said Monday (Sept. 13).
How could a company like Pharmally Pharmaceuticals start with some P625,000 and whoppingly end up with a potential P12 billion from contracts with the Philippine government for medical supplies to address the COVID-19 pandemic?
Former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao cited the Bayanihan 1 and 2 Laws passed by Congress to justify the award of P10 billion worth of contracts to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation despite its lack of financial capacity to fulfill the government’s orders.
A party-list solon has questioned the national government’s supposed “zero allocation” for the hospitalization expenses of active soldiers and veterans under the proposed 2022 National Budget.
“Para pong tumama sa lotto ang Pharmally,” says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon after contracts of the company with DBM caused its income to soar from zero to P284M.
Para pong tumama sa lotto ang Pharmally,” says Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon after contracts of the company with DBM caused its income.
The institutionalization of “pasa-buy” in government purchases has transformed two agencies into “mega parking lots of funds” which, despite years-long delays in delivering the goods and projects they were contracted to buy, still raked in hundreds of millions in commissions, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.
Some P6.4 billion funds for the allowances and other benefits of the health care workers were reverted to the national treasury.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate wants an investigation on the role of the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service office. “Masyado nang powerful ang DBM,” he said.
House Committee on Appropriations chairperson and ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap is confident that the passage of the more than P5 trillion national budget for 2022 will not be delayed by the resignation of Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado.
