Ombudsman joins probe on drugs dumped in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman, through the initiative of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, is extending help to speedily probe the dumping of medicine and medical supplies in two pits at the provincial capitol compound here and determine if any public officials and employees were behind it.

In a letter signed by Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni, the Office of the Ombudsman told Gov. Amado Espino Jr. that a joint investigation would facilitate the successful administrative and criminal prosecution of those involved in the anomaly.

“Be assured that the investigation of the said case will be treated with great weight,” Jalandoni said.

He said associate graft investigation officers Fe Bergancia III and Rholie Besona have been assigned to assist in the probe.

Espino accepted the offer and called on a team he had created to probe the dumping to assist the Ombudsman’s inquiry, provincial information officer Orpheus Velasco said.

Retire police colonel Paterno Orduña, who heads the probe team, said they were thankful to the Ombudsman for extending help in the investigation which he said would take “a lot of documentary exploration and record tracking.”

Orduña said they would identify those behind the dumping at the proper time.

“I don’t know why some people are already reacting to this when we have not named names yet,” he said.

He quoted witnesses though as saying that some of them are still working in the provincial government.

Orduña said they are willing to turn over to the Ombudsman all the evidence in their possession for an impartial probe.

According to reports, the multimillion-peso medicine and medical supplies were buried in two sites in the capitol compound – at the motorpool area of the provincial engineering office and at the back of the Sison auditorium – sometime in 2005.

The assorted brands of medicine could reportedly fill at least three truckloads. Those in bottled syrup were said to bore 2006 expiry dates.

Dr. Jackson Soriano, provincial health officer, also a member of the probe team, said the drugs were mostly antibiotics, paracetamol and anti-diarrhea.

Also found in the pits were blood bags, oral contraceptive pills, condoms and intravenous equipment.

The cost of the drugs and medical supplies that were dug up were said to range from P1.738 million to P2.934 million.

The dumping surfaced after Espino and Orduña got separate anonymous letters tipping them off about it.

Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the dumping must be thoroughly investigated and those behind it appropriately charged.

Duque said the disposal of unused drugs must have a clearance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.