MANILA — Malacañang's spokesman on Thursday denied that he alleged overpricing in the previous Aquino administration's procurement of personal protective equipment, after a senator likened him to an internet "troll."

Harry Roque, who speaks for President Rodrigo Duterte, on Wednesday brought up the Aquino government's purchase of the safety gear allegedly at P3,500 to P3,800 per set, in response to a Senate probe into the current administration's pandemic transactions, including the purchase of PPEs at around P1,900.

• Facing Senate probe, gov't claims Aquino admin bought costlier gear

"Hindi ko naman sinasabi na overpriced talaga iyong P3,500 na iyon," Roque said in his press briefing Thursday.

(I am not saying that P3,500 is overpriced.)

He said he only pointed out that both PPEs were medical-grade.

"Mga kababayan, bago natin i-conclude na nagkaroon ng pandarambong at nagkaroon ng overprice, tanungin natin, overpriced ba ang P1,950, ganoong nabili ang exact same PPE na level 4 na halagang P3,500," he said.

(My fellow Filipinos, before we conclude there was plunder and overpricing, let us first ask if P1,950 is really overpriced, when the exact same level 4 PPE was bought at P3,500.)

A copy of the purchase order dated June 23, 2016 obtained by ABS-CBN News showed that the PPEs bought by the DOH during the Aquino administration were sets composed of goggles, gloves, plastic shoe cover, coverall, surgical gown, N95 and surgical masks, and head cap. It was priced at P3,864 per set.

It is also indicated in the document that the said PPE sets were procured for the use of "school-based health stations/BHSs under the Health Facility Enhancement Program Management Office (HFEPMO)".

The DOH also procured a similar set of PPEs in 2015 worth P3,500 per set for the use of the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.

The Aquino administration served from June 30, 2010 until June 30, 2016.

Video courtesy of PTV

EX-DOH SEC DENIES HAND

Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin, who was health secretary during the previous administration, said she "cannot remember being involved" in the procurement of the PPEs Roque brought up.

During a budget hearing, she asked Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to look into the procurement, whether or not it was flagge by senators, and if there was overpricing, among others.

Duque told the lawmaker, "Yes, we will have this looked into and the truth is necessary to resolve this issue."

Garin served as health chief from December 2014 until the end of the Aquino administration. Her term was investigated by the Duterte administration for a controversial dengue vaccination program.

DIVERTING PUBLIC ATTENTION?

Roque on Wednesday said Sen. Franklin Drilon, who belongs to the late President Benigno Aquino III's political party, should explain those procurement.

"Senator Drilon, please explain, bakit ang mga kakampi mo, doble ang halaga ng binili para sa mga PPEs sa panahon na wala pa pong pandemya. Mayroon po talagang kumita, hindi po sa administrasyon na ito," Roque said.

(Sen. Drilon, please explain why your allies bought PPEs double the price and at a time when there's no pandemic. Somebody took profit, but not from this administration.)

Drilon was a senator during the Aquino administration, and hence, did not belong to the executive branch.

The lawmaker said Roque's remarks were "spoken like a true troll."

"It is very unmanly and desperate of Roque to even mention my name. It is very malicious and it is a futile attempt to divert attention away from this organized plunder," Drilon, who is among lawmakers questioning the Duterte administration's purchases for COVID-19 response, said in a statement.

The senator dared Roque to identify the "backer" of Pharmally and Lloyd Christopher Lao, who was head of the budget department's procurement service when it awarded contracts to the firm for the purchase of medical supplies.

Duterte on Monday said Lao was part of his campaign team in 2016 and helped him with legal matters before being appointed to government.

• Duterte cites 'utang na loob' to ex-DBM exec facing Senate probe

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Meanwhile, Duterte's former economic adviser Michael Yang reportedly has ties to Pharmally, officials of which he introduced to the President in 2017, as seen in a Malacañang video.

Addressing Drilon, Roque said, "Focus na lang po tayo sa tunay na issue: nasaan po ang overpricing? Wala."

"Saka, sana po, kung tayo’y magdi-debate, pag-usapan na lang natin ang facts. Tama na po ‘yang kung anu-anong mga pangalang ginagamit. Mukhang hindi ninyo naman naintindihan kung ano ibig sabihin ng ‘troll’."

(Let us just focus on the real issue: where is the overpricing? There was none. And if we are going to debate, let us talk about facts. Stop with name-calling, it appears you do not know what 'troll' means.)

Amid the flagging also by Sen. Risa Hontiveros of the government's decision to transact with Pharmally after she found out that its two officials are facing charges in Taiwan, Roque said the deal was made with the company and not its executives.

Under Philippine laws, a corporation has a "separate and distinct" personality from its stockholders, said Roque, a lawyer.

"Ang nag-bid po, ‘yong korporasyon. Hindi naman po kinakailangan busisiin talaga ‘yong personalidad na nasa likod ng korporasyon kasi nga po separate personality ‘yon," he said.

(The corporation was the one that bid. The personalities behind the corporation need not be scrutinized because it has a separate personality.)

"Ang tinitingnan po natin ay kung ’yong kumpanyang ‘yon ay blacklisted sa gobyerno dahil hindi naka-deliver sa previous transaction o hindi nagbayad ng buwis," added the official.

(What we look at is whether or not the company was blacklisted by government because it failed to deliver on a previous transaction or did not pay taxes.)

Government dealt with Pharmally because it offered the lowest quotation and agreed not to receive payment if it failed to deliver supplies, said Roque.

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— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News