Several lawyers asked the Supreme Court (SC) to compel several government agencies to make public all information related to the supply agreements forged to address the past Covid-19 pandemic.

In a petition, the SC was told that “… given the number of deaths due to the pandemic and the Philippine government’s allotment of almost P113.5 billion for procurement of vaccines -- of which P104,549,369,856.60 or 92.12 percent of the total allotment came from loans -- made such information truly a matter of utmost public interest.”   

The petition was filed by former solicitor general and former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz and lawyers Randall C. Tabayoyong, Jeffrey B. Constantino and Nizzane P. Vico.

Named respondents were Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and former health secretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph G. Recto, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman and the Commission on Audit (COA) through its Chairman Gamaliel A.  Cordoba.   

The petitioners told the SC that they filed a case after the respondents denied their requests to be provided with details of the supply agreements on the Covid-19 vaccines entered by the government, specifically, information on the brands, quantities and prices at which the vaccines were procured and paid for by the government   

They said specific data were requested from respondents on the supply agreements entered into by the government for the various Covid-19 vaccines that it procured; brands and quantities of vaccines procured; and prices after sales documentation and liquidation reports of the funding sourced from 2001 and 2022 national budget.   

At the same time, they said they also sought information on what the government did with any excess funds allotted for anti-Covid-19 program after President Marcos issued Proclamation No. 297 that lifted the State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines on July 21, 2023.   

“Disappointingly, instead of assisting petitioners in obtaining such very important information, which should have been made accessible to the public immediately after the state of national emergency has been lifted, respondents DBM, DOF and COA erected a blank wall and denied petitioners’ reasonable requests made under respondents respective Freedom of Information Manuals…,” they also said. 

The refusal of the respondents to provide the requested information violates Section 28 of the 1987 Constitution which mandates the government to adopt and implement a policy of full disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.     

At the same time, they pointed out that the respondents violated Section 7, Article II of the Constitution which guarantees the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.   

They told the SC: "We are hopeful that, through this Petition, the Supreme Court will recognize the urgency and importance of our request for the Supply Agreements as well as the grave abuse of discretion that the respondents committed in denying that request. In the end, we are only trying to uphold the people's right to information guaranteed under our Constitution,”

It is expected that the SC will tackle the petition after its Holy Week recess.