Daily Tribune (Philippines)

Go backs probe on pharma’s alleged unethical practices

In a manifestat­ion on Monday, 6 May, Senator Christophe­r “Bong” Go expressed strong support for an extensive and fair investigat­ion into the Bell-Kenz Pharma issue.

As ruled by the Senate during the plenary session, the probe will be led by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee joint with the Senate Committee on Health as secondary committee.

Being the chair of the Senate Health Committee, Go emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of the medical profession and maintainin­g the trust given to doctors. He stressed the State’s obligation to safeguard the integrity of the public health system and ensure that medical profession­als adhere to their ethical standards and existing laws.

Following initial discussion­s conducted by the Senate Committee on Health during its hearing last 30 April, the matter has been officially referred by the Senate Committee on Rules to the Blue Ribbon Committee for further investigat­ion. Go expressed his full support for this decision, emphasizin­g his confidence in the committee’s ability to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry.

“It is crucial to continue this investigat­ion and get to the bottom of this. Whether primary or secondary, whether it is the Committee on Health or the Blue Ribbon Committee or any other related committee, ang importante malaman natin ang totoo,” Go declared.

Earlier, Go has asked concerned regulatory bodies and government agencies, including the Department of Health, Food and Drug Administra­tion, Profession­al Regulation Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Philippine Competitio­n Commission, to also investigat­e the accusation­s against the pharma company based on their respective mandates.