Maniolas

Aside from the issue on the controversial purchase of more than P800 million worth of anti-pneumonia vaccines in 2012, Health Secretary (on leave) Enrique Ona also faces investigation on at least three more questionable procurement transactions, President Benigno Aquino III said on Saturday. In an interview with reporters in Busan, Aquino said Ona, who was questioned for the purchase of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)-10 instead of the reportedly more cost-effective PCV-13, will remain on leave pending investigations on these issues. “Well, I’ll have to follow up kung kailan matatapos ‘yung lahat ‘nung imbestigasyon,” he said. “It’s not just the PCV. There are several others. In my mind, about three or four other issues that have to be attended to.” While Aquino declined to elaborate further on the other procurement issues, he noted that investigations on two of these have been completed. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is currently investigating why the DOH, under Ona’s watch, purchased expensive vaccines in 2012 despite a reported recommendation for more cost-effective ones. While Ona is on extended leave, the DOH will still be under the supervision of Acting Health Secretary Janette Garin. —Amanda Fernandez/KG, GMA News

Following the government’s preemptive actions to Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit), Malacañang on Saturday expressed hopes this could be the start of a “culture of preparedness.” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said such a culture is needed in dealing with an average of 20 cyclones that pass through the country every year. “Coming off our recent experience with Ruby, we hope we’re evolving to a culture of preparedness,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. In the weekend before Ruby was projected to make landfall over Eastern Visayas, local governments in Bicol and Visayas preemptively evacuated residents in danger zones. As of Saturday morning, figures from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed Ruby left at least 18 dead. The Philippines earned praise from many in the international community for the preemptive actions. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations said its secretary-general Le Luong Minh cited the preemptive efforts in mitigating losses and damages. “ASEAN Chief commended Philippines for its early warning efforts and disaster preparedness plans which mitigated losses and damages,” the ASEAN said.   Minh also expressed ASEAN’s sympathy to the Philippines in the wake of Ruby – while still recovering from super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Australia welcomed continued reports that “preparedness by local authorities has helped to limit the impact of the typhoon.” It also promised to “continue to work with the Philippine Government and international partners to support the typhoon response as required.” “Our actions tend to show we are starting to (imbibe) a culture of preparedness,” Read More …

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday said Vice President Jejomar Binay’s ratings may continue to slide down as he suffered another decline in Pulse Asia’s latest poll among probable presidential candidates. At a press briefing, Santiago said, “Bababa nang bababa ‘yan. There is no happy news for him in the near future.” In the latest Pulse Asia survey, Binay dropped five percentage points but remained on top of the list of possible presidential contenders in 2016. In the latest survey, Binay had 26 percent. He got 31 percent in the September survey; prior to that, he had 41 percent in Pulse Asia’s polls results released in June. Santiago also noted that Binay may remain on top because he continues to lead among those in the poorest Class E (with 30 percent). However, the feisty senator said members of the Class E may continue to support the Vice President “because they do not have easy access of communication.” “It takes some time for news to filter down to the masses,” she said. “Sooner or later, all of these matters will filter down to the bottom.” Binay and his son Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay Jr. are facing plunder charges in connection with the alleged overpricing of a construction of the Makati City Hall Building II in 2007. The building was bidded out when the elder Binay was Makati Mayor and Junjun was city councilor. Other allegations of graft and corruption have surfaced after the Senate conducted a probe. VP Binay has Read More …

The local distributor of the ActRx TriAct, an herbal drug that is claimed to be effective against dengue and malaria, on Friday disputed assertions made by the Health Department that the clinical trials of the drug were illegal and that the drug could have long-term harmful effects. “It is truly confusing and disheartening because the statement of DOH is founded on conjecture and has the tenor of predisposed opinions without proper verification as to the veracity of the allegations that have been hurled,” said Hexilon Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Pampanga-based Preferred and Proven Therapies Inc. (PPTI), in an email. Alvarez said that ActRX TriAct was proven not be harmful because the US non-profit organization ActRx Foundation Inc. had secured the approvals from the US FDA, which is under the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Alvarez provided GMA News Online a copy of a certification issued by the USDHHS’ Institutional Review Board (IRB) acknowledging that it had reviewed on February 22, 2012 the ActRX Foundation Inc.’s proposed protocol for the conduct of clinical trials of “Dengue Fever Treatment with Artemesia Combination Therapy (ACTRx)”. “The ActRx Foundation Inc. proposal IORG0006761-7 Dengue Fever treatment protocol has been provisionally approved… The IRB recommends proceeding with a submission of the actual consent form to be used in the study,” the IRB certification reads. “The US Dept of Health and Human Services and FDA would not have issued the ‘go ahead’ or approval of the protocol to conduct testing on Read More …