The government is looking into the possible filing of charges against dismissed Food and Drug Administration Director General Nela Charade Puno for alleged corruption.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Duterte has received many complaints from doctors, including his own doctor, and other healthcare stakeholders about Puno and was awaiting their affidavits to build a case against the concerned former official.
These sworn statements, alongside the Commission on Audit report on FDA, would be forwarded to the Department of Justice for appropriate action, according to Panelo.
“Perhaps in the coming days, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, the findings of the CoA as well as other documents have been forwarded to the Department of Justice for evaluation and for the filing of whatever charges or appropriate charges that the department may find to be appropriate,” Panelo said.
“The President also wants to share to the public that he has received numerous, as in numerous complaints, from doctors, including his own doctor, about the former director general and many complaints coming from many sectors and the Palace is just awaiting for the submission of sworn statements which shall be forwarded to the Department of Justice,” he said.
Asked about the nature of the complaints against Puno, Panelo said: “I think corruption.” He added that they would rather wait for the sworn statements from the “so-called victims.”
Upon instruction of the President, Panelo read a letter from the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines lauding the President’s swift action on issues and raised at the FDA.
The group, in the letter addressed to the President and signed by Executive Director Teodoro Padilla, has expressed support for the replacement of Puno “for us to effectively and efficiently conduct commerce that is consistent with your agenda of increasing competitiveness and ease of doing business.” (Genalyn Kabiling)