NBI files raps vs 11 persons in sale of regulated drugs

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges against 11 persons who are allegedly connected with a company that sold regulated drugs, including Viagra, without government authorization.

The NBI said the suspects, who work for Bluestream Information Technology Services, have violated the Food and Drugs Cosmetics Act as amended by the Food and Drug Administration Act.

In a complaint filed before the Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office, NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula identified the respondents as Alcris de la Cruz, Keith Bernard DJ Villamayor, Peter Gucaban, Jason Alancado, Alvin Santos, Carolina Intalan, Germaine Aldrene Tan, Nikki So, Joanna Bolante, Katherine Mae Manaluz and Erica Teng.

Gatdula said the company functions as a business processes outsourcing (BPO) or call center firm and is engaged in a “pharma campaign” or the sale of medicine and pharmaceutical products through the Internet.

NBI deputy director Rickson Chiong said the firm sells medicine that include Viagra, Cialis, Tramadol and Soma.

“Bluestream operates its campaign without a license or permit from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD),” the NBI stated.

Based on a BFAD certification obtained by the NBI, the government agency does not allow the sale of medicine and other pharmaceutical products through the Internet.

The NBI had received information last February about the business activities of the company, whose offices are located at the corner of Quezon Avenue and EDSA.

NBI agent Sherwin Uy conducted undercover operations and applied as a call center agent to work for the company last March.

Uy applied for the position of customer service representative and underwent training for the post. During such training, he and other fellow applicants were told that foreigners based in the country own the company.

Uy said that they were told during the training that the job of an agent was to call prospective customers through a list that contained names of persons and the types of medicine that they regularly purchase. As soon as the sale is done, the agent would fill up a sales form with the customer’s credit card number used to pay for the product.

He said this would be reviewed before being passed on to the company’s “shipping administrator.”

Uy said that they were told during training that the company had all the needed permits and licenses to offer and sell the medicine and regulated drugs. But this was contradicted by records at the BFAD.

A Manila court eventually granted a search warrant to the NBI, which the agency served on May 27. During the search, NBI agents saw call center agents making calls and selling the products and bureau agents eventually confiscated computers and other gadgets being used by the employees.