The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) North Luzon Cluster said an estimated P30 million worth of illegal Chinese medicines, cosmetics, food and medical essentials had been confiscated inside the state-run Clark Freeport Zone.
Another P500,000 worth of overpriced alcohol and facemasks had been confiscated all over Central and Northern Luzon since the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
Rommel Gabuna of FDA said P30 million of unregistered Chinese medicines, cosmetics and food had been confiscated in various locations inside the Clark Freeport Zone – at a Fontana villa converted into a makeshift hospital, a PhilExcel warehouse and another warehouse near the Clark Development Corporation Corporate offices. The fourth Chinese illegal pharmacy was found near the Korean Town outside Clark.
“Yung apat po na yun wala pong license to operate, at ang mga product po nila puro wala pong certificate of product registration,” said Gabuna. – Donna Rempillo
“Kung sa Chinese lang po pumapalo na po ng higit kumulang mga P30 milyon yun, sa Chinese lang. Plus may programa kasi ang gobyerno, kasama natin ang DTI regarding sa mga overpricing ng mga produkto noong panahon ng ECQ, kung isasama po natin yun, mga thirty million five hundred thousand, estimate lang po yun,” said Gabuna.
FDA together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Office 3 and the Crime Investigation and Detection Group of Philippine National Police (PNP-CIDG) have recently raided a total of four different locations of establishments where illegal medical facilities, pharmacies and warehouses were operating without license.
The four joint operations yielded a total of 7 Chinese nationals — 3 of them practice as medical doctors in the country without working permits, said Gabuna. They dispense unregistered medicines to their patients which is another violation according to FDA.
“Sa atin po kasi only pharmacist or authorized person or official ang pwedeng magdispense ng drugs, unless ang doctor ay pharmacist din, pwede syang magdispense,” said Gabuna.
Gabuna said these unregistered medicines were barely recognized on X-ray machines upon passing for inspection. These hot items were under boxes with food labels half of which were topped with food products.
The confiscated medicines also violates Food and Drug labeling requirement, said Gabuna. “Kapag nagmarket po kayo sa Philippines dapat either po nasa Philippine language or nasa English language may translation po, so far wala po sila nun,” he said.
The confiscated Chinese medicines and products were now at te warehouse of FDA while waiting for the laboratory results for the 20 variants of unregistered conventional and medicinal herbs gathered during the operations. The FDA will dispose the confiscated illegal medicines.
“Pag gamot po talagang for destruction po yan kasi we cannot sell or donate kasi unang una violation of law yung pumasok sila dito so di po talaga yan idodonate,” Gabuna said.