00:00Officials of the country's Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, took a lot of heat from Senator Rafi Tulfo's bus blistering attack
00:09on their perceived negligence and foot dragging on issues like the flourish of fake medicines and the snail-like pace
00:16to register critically needed medical equipment, among others, in today's hearing by the Senate Committee on Health and Demographics.
00:25Our Luisa El Rispe cashes over the details.
00:30Hindi ma-takedown-takedown ng FDA itong produkto na may amphetamine.
00:34Alam naman natin, yan po yung isang sangkap sa shabu.
00:37Pero na-takedown po ng inyong lingkod sa loob lamang po ng isang linggo.
00:42Ibig sabihin, napaka-inutit po talaga ng FDA.
00:44Nasaan ang kongkretong aksyon?
00:47Wala.
00:48Nagdududad tuloy ang marami, baka nagaantay ng lagay.
00:53Senator Rafi Tulfo unleashed a withering criticism against the Food and Drug Administration
00:59for the widespread availability of counterfeit and unregistered medicines sold online.
01:05During the hearing of the Committee on Health and Demography, Tulfo insisted,
01:09the FDA's negligence has allowed the rampant sale of fake drugs to persist.
01:14He pointed out that even in Binondo, Manila, fake medicines are sold in plain sight without any arrests being made.
01:21O, ito. Pakita ko sa'yo.
01:24O, tamad kayo eh.
01:26Look at this.
01:27These are Chinese products na nabibili sa Binondo.
01:31Sabi niyo, masama sa kalusugan.
01:33Bakit yung pinapayagan?
01:35Pati kayo nag-rig?
01:36Adding to the controversy,
01:38it was revealed that certain medicines registered in other countries
01:41remained banned in the Philippines,
01:44prompting questions regarding the actual criteria for FDA registration.
01:49Top one ng FDA sa ARTA complaints.
01:53Ang registration inabot ng taon.
01:56Lagana pang fixer at may guaranteed license pa daw dahil may kakilala sa loob.
02:02Meanwhile, Senator Irwin Tulfo reported a grievance from the Palawan local government
02:08claiming it took nearly a decade for the FDA to register a dialysis machine
02:13intended for free use by the province.
02:16Nakatinga lamang daw po doon since 2018 hanggang noong nakaraang buwan.
02:23Bakit tumagal ng from 2018, 2025 pa ng December ay hindi pa po na-aproba?
02:32Nakailangang-kailangan po ng ospital ng Palawan yung mga dialysis machine.
02:38Due to these delays and allegations of inefficiency,
02:42Senator Ravi Tulfo once again challenged FDA officials to resign if they cannot perform their duties.
02:49Sir, inutil ka po.
02:52I'm sorry to tell you.
02:54You're incompetent.
02:56At yan mismo, sinabi ng ARTA.
02:59Dapat kayo, karamihan kayo sa management, magsiresign na kayo.
03:03Oh, inutil kayo eh. Wala kayong ginagawa po hindi.
03:07Humintay ng sugunang lagay mula sa mga malalaking pharmaceutical companies.
03:11However, the FDA responded by asserting it has taken action,
03:15noting that administrative cases are pending against offenders, as well as fines being collected.
03:21Marami pong pending administrative cases sa FDA po.
03:25Nung huli po ako nag-check, I think kahapon po yata na sa 3,000 po yung administrative case sa FDA
03:30involving violation of FDA Act of R.A. 3720 and 9711.
03:37Ang penalty po sa administrative cases is between 50,000 to 500,000 pesos po.
03:43The agency maintained it is working alongside the NBI and PNP
03:47to apprehend those involved in illegal sales,
03:51though admitting its current problem of understaffing to strictly enforce the law.
03:56Luisa Erispe from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
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