MANILA, Philippines — There are tons of personal protective equipment (PPE) stored at the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) warehouse that medical personnel can use, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. claimed.

In a tweet late Sunday night, Locsin said that the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) can take the said PPEs in the warehouse since it is a government hospital.

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“If PGH and other frontline medical personnel are looking for PPEs, they are in Customs warehouse, tons of them,” Locsin said.

“Go get them there. PGH is an arm of government and entitled to take them,” he added.

If PGH and other frontline medical personnel are looking for PPEs, they are in Customs warehouse, tons of them. Go get them there. PGH is an arm of government and entitled to take them. — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 15, 2020

Former health undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa, meanwhile, said that PGH’s supplier of surgical masks cannot deliver “because they’re stuck at Customs.”

“Customs is under the DoF (Department of Finance). It’s a public health emergency,” Herbosa said in a reply to Locsin.

“The PGH supplier of surgical masks can’t deliver because they’re stuck at customs! HELP!” he added.

Customs is under the DoF. It’s a public health emergency. The PGH supplier of surgical masks can’t deliver because they’re stuck at customs! HELP! ADVERTISEMENT — Teddy Herbosa (@Teddybird) March 15, 2020

A netizen also asked Locsin if the Customs can instead deliver the PPEs to hospitals.

“Sir, can someone from Customs deliver theses PPEs right in the hospital? Frontline people are running out of number because some were quarantined, some were sick, so no time to go to Custom’s warehouse,” the netizen said.

Sir, can someone from Customs deliver theses PPEs right in the hospital? Frontline people are running out of number because some were quarantined, some were sick, so no time to go to Custom's warehouse. — Briseis (@Briseisji) March 15, 2020

Locsin said he will ask authorities about the matter during the Palace conference this afternoon.

During a House briefing, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted that the bigger problem faced by his office is not budget, but rather global supply of PPE and testing supplies.

The P1.6 billion supplemental budget earlier approved by the House Committee on Appropriations also includes funds for the procurement of PPEs for medical personnel.

GSG

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