Sandro bill hastens process in purchase of life-saving medical supplies
Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos (Facebook)
Presidential son, Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos has moved to hasten the process in the purchase of life-saving medicines and medical equipment under the existing Government Procurement Reform Act. Rep. Marcos did so by filing House Bill (HB) No.8531, or the proposed Act expediting the procurement of life-saving medical equipment and devices, supplies, materials, tools and consumables. “In the procurement of hospital supplies and equipment, one common complaint is that due to the lengthy period for the processing of documents, as well as the papers required from the suppliers to the hospital, life-saving supplies and equipment are not expeditiously secured and the suppliers are not promptly paid,” noted the rookie solon in the explanatory note of his bill. The bill seeks to amend Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) No.9184. If it gets enacted, a paragraph will be added to Section 4 exempting the procurement of the intended medical supplies from the coverage of the Government Procurement Reform Act. It can be recalled that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 24, sought from Congress a new law on procurement and government auditing. Rep. Marcos, the House senior deputy majority leader, actually filed HB No.8531 on June 13, a full month before the elder Marcos made his appeal during his annual speech. HB No.8531 is also meant to fight corruption in the procurement process.