Sunday, May 9, 2021

Solons: P1-B remdesivir deal a waste of money. Inquirer Newsletter May 10, 2021

ARRIVAL HONORS Quarantine rules have scaled down this year’s graduation rites of Philippine Military Academy Masaligan Class of 2021, but top alumni like Brig. Gen. Steve Ludan, president of the PMA Alumni Association, have taken time to witness the event. Ludan oversaw the graduating cadets take their oath to be part of the long gray line or the bond connecting all generations of PMA graduates. —PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY ACADEMY’S FACEBOOK PAGE

Board Talk

Singapore’s success: Lessons for Manila

In response to increased cases coming from countries such as India, the government of Singapore recently reimplemented stringent COVID-19 restrictions. One could say this was done out of an abundance of caution. —Story by David Nugent

News

ADB asked: After coal, why shift support to fossil gas?

Even as they welcomed a recent plan of Asian Development Bank (ADB) to stop funding coal projects in the region, environmental groups and campaigners are worried about the financial institution’s continued support for fossil gas in its draft energy policy. —Story by Jhesset O. Enano

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Solons: P1-B remdesivir deal a waste of money

By Nestor Corrales

Two House lawmakers on Sunday criticized the Department of Health (DOH) for still buying P1 billion worth of remdesivir even after the World Health Organization had rejected the use of the drug in COVID-19 treatment.Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor and House Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza also questioned the DOH’s decision to push through with the transaction, which they described as a waste of money.

“We consider all new purchases of remdesivir as reckless and foolish spending in light of the WHO recommendation, and considering that [the] government is scrounging for money to buy more COVID-19 vaccines and pay for the P2,000 cash aid for every Filipino contemplated under the Bayanihan 3 bill,” Defensor said in a statement.

He warned that further purchases of remdesivir might be deemed as transactions highly detrimental to the government under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

In a separate statement, Atienza questioned the DOH’s “wasteful double standard” of promoting a very expensive drug such as remdesivir while ignoring other potential low-priced treatments like human-grade ivermectin that he said costs only P35 to P40 per capsule.

The DOH did not respond to requests for comment.

Officials making money?

“The DOH should stop importing and using remdesivir. Otherwise, the public will start suspecting that some [DOH] officials are making money on the purchases,” Atienza said. “Other wealthy nations can throw their money away on remdesivir if they want to, but in our case, we simply can’t afford to,” he added.

Both Atienza and Defensor have been pushing for the use of ivermectin to treat and prevent COVID-19 despite the WHO’s warning that there was not enough evidence to show the antiparasitic drug could be used effectively against the coronavirus. --WITH A REPORT FROM MARICAR CINCO INQ

Editorial

Open NCR to new ecozones

The plea of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) for Malacañang to lift the ban on new ecozones in Metro Manila deserves serious consideration by Malacañang, for many reasons.

Read full story: opinion.inquirer.net