By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News
Published February 11, 2021 1:28pm Government agencies on Thursday backed the Senate proposal which essentially allows local government units (LGUs) to expeditiously procure COVID-19 vaccines by exempting them on certain procurement requirements under the law. The Senate committee on finance was tackling Senate Bill 2042, introduced by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, which expedites the purchase and administration of COVID-19 vaccines by exempting LGUs on provisions under the Government Procurement Reform Act. We hope to spare the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines from the tedious and circuitous procurement process, Zubiri said in his preliminary remarks during the hearing. With this exemption, we also hope to avoid adverse COA findings from being issued and graft cases from being filed against local government units and their officials, he added.
Allowing LGUs to directly buy from pharmaceutical firms is seen as a solution to vaccine delays, but a group of healthcare workers warns of graver consequences should the proposal be signed into law.
Published February 12, 2021, 12:33 AM
The Supreme Court, in a decision dated January 28, 2021, affirmed the notices of disallowance by the Commission on Audit (COA) on some P204.7 million granted by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) to its officials and its employees in various kinds of benefits in 2007 and 2008 – 13 to 14 years ago.
The court, in the unanimous decision written by Justice Jean Paul B. Inting, said the Philhealth officials who approved the grant of money benefits are liable to return P16.2 million. It also ordered the recipients of the other amounts to refund them “since it was erroneously given to and received by them.”
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco has filed a bill authorizing local government units (LGUs) to directly purchase from manufacturers their choice of coronavirus disease (COVID 19) vaccines without going through the long process of a public bidding.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco
(Lord Allan Velasco's Offic
Published February 9, 2021, 2:32 PM
The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the notices of disallowance (NDs) issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the P204.07 million that was given to officials and employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) as efficiency and birthday gifts, among other benefits, in 2007 and 2008.
Supreme Court (SC)
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In a unanimous decision written by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, the SC said PhilHealth officials who approved and certified the grant of the monetary benefits are liable to return P16.2 million.
It also ordered the recipients to refund the amount they received, “since it was erroneously given to and received by them.”