Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor called for a congressional inquiry into allegations that the Quezon City local government has spent over P24 million to purchase 400,000 face shields at overpriced cost.
Defensor filed House Resolution No. 2143 calling on the proper Lower House committee to launch the inquiry in aid of legislation.
The move came as the Senate has started looking into a similar case of overpricing of face shields, face masks and other vital personal protective equipment being blamed on the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service using funds of the Department of Health.
The House Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Probinsyano Ako Partylist Rep. Jose “Bonito” C. Singson Jr. has also taken up the issue at yesterday’s inquiry into the DOH’s reported mismanagement of some P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds.
“Since we are investigating alleged wrongdoing by the Department of Health in the use of pandemic response funds, we might as well look into similar irregularities committed by local government units (LGUs) like Quezon City,” said Defensor.
Defensor, former chairman of the House public accounts panel, said national agencies as well as LGUs should not take advantage of the health crisis “to overprice the purchase of goods or services in the guise of helping people.” “We should not allow corruption, whether by national officials or local leaders,” he stressed.
He disclosed receiving procurement documents that evidencing the procurement of face shields at an overpriced cost of P67.50 per piece for a total P27 million.
The partylist lawmaker said he received the documents from QC hall insiders “who are scandalized by the scale of corruption in City Hall.” He identified the supplier as Strength Medical and Drug Supply, which he said is a single proprietorship.
According to Defensor the retail price of face shields was P10 per piece at the time the QC government purchased its supply.
“The price paid by the Quezon City LGU was more than 600 percent higher than the going rate. There was an almost P60 premium paid per unit, or a total overprice of at least P24 million for a single procurement,” he said.
Aside from the excessive price, the procurement did not go through the required public bidding process, he said.
“Had there been public bidding, City Hall would have discovered that the prevailing price was not more than P10 per face shield and it could have bought 2.7 million pieces instead of just 400,000,” he stressed.