A party-list lawmaker has called for a congressional probe of the disqualification from public bidding of a Filipino who invented an indigenous product intended to eliminate the mosquito-carrying dengue virus.
Rep. Leah S. Paquiz of NARS, author of House Resolution 2264 seeking the probe, said the Department of Health Central Office Bids and Awards Committee (DoH-Cobac) instead awarded the contract to G. Chem Trading Corp., a distributor of a Japanese product.
Paquiz said the inquiry should determine whether the Filipino First Policy have been complied with good faith and without undue damage to the government.
“The inquiry should also determine whether the procurement of the pyriproxifen is the most beneficial and cost effective option for the DoH to address the dengue virus in the country,” Paquiz said.
Paquiz urged the House Committees on Health and Good Governance and Public Accountability to summon the official of DoH-Cobac to shed light on the matter.
Paquiz said that Christian Herbosa, owner of MYKL Trading and inventor of the “kiti-kitix,” claims that the product was invented primarily to eliminate, destroy mosquito larvae and prevent the spread of the dengue virus.
Paquiz said Herbosa’s invention is the lowest and cheapest product in the local market, effective, tested and accredited by the DoH since 2009.
Paquiz said Herbosa was disqualified by Cobac to join the bidding for the procurement of the larvicide-rebid due to his failure to include the World Health Organizations Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES) in his proposal.
WHOPES is a mere listing of effectivity and does not prevent any inventors whose product have been tested and proven to be more advantageous from joining a public bidding.
“The title of the bid larvicide was a good start since the term was broad to cover all possible products in the market,” Paquiz said.
The lawmaker said the use of pyriproxifen, a chemical formula of a chemical composition of a particular brand did not limit the wide option of the single supplier, the G. Chem Trading Corp. as the exclusive distributor of pyriproxifen in the Philippines.