Do follow-up prosecution vs. fake drugs sellers, Duterte to FDA

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a follow-up prosecution after busting sellers of fake medicines and fly-by-night drug stores.

“Ang akin lang kasi (My point here is that) there’s must be a follow-up sa prosecution para mahinto na ito (for this to end),” Duterte told FDA officer-in-charge Oscar Gutierrez said during his prerecorded Talk to the People on Monday night.

Duterte cited the importance of filing charges against the actors of illegal activities, noting that it would scare people to follow the wrongdoings of others.

“That’s the only way to discourage people selling fake medicines even they are called legit outlets,” he added.

Gutierrez said the FDA has been coordinating with the police authorities to halt the selling of counterfeit drugs, especially in small enterprises such as sari-sari stores.

Gutierrez said these sari-sari stores commonly get permits through the local government units (LGUs).

“We would like sana (hopefully) to work with the LGUs para po (so that) maybe they can pass an ordinance na iyong mga (those) sari-sari store po do not buy or carrying medicine,” he said.

Duterte backed Gutierrez’s plan and directed LGUs to imposed strict ordinances against the selling of fake medicines.

“Sabihin mo lang utos ito ni Presidente ibigay daw sa inyo, tapos gusto ni Presidente na mabigyan siya ng monitoring output para masundan ko rin (Just tell them President has ordered it, to give it to you and them tell them President wants a monitoring output so I can also catch up),” he told Gutierrez.

Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said they will support the FDA in its fight against fake drug selling.

“We will intensify this and make sure that our LGUs will join this campaign against the selling of fake medicines because they are dangerous to the health of our constituents. We will coordinate with the FDA on the issuance of appropriate circular order,” Año said.

Duterte also urged the FDA to strengthen its coordination with police authorities such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) when making actions against the sellers of fake medicines.

“Do not venture out or make mga ganito (like these) raids and everything, without the corresponding prosecution kasi kailagan talaga mademanda ito (they need to be charged). So you are better off with the NBI conducting or the CIDG,” he said.

People engaged in such illegal activities should be imprisoned as it is a serious fraud, Duterte added.