The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability said the two violated the Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Executive Order 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987.
Lawmakers pinned Duque for the Department of Health’s supposed inconsistency in adopting the World Health Organization’s recommendations on the use of certain drugs to treat COVID-19.

They noted that while the DOH advised against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19, it recommended the use of remdesivir for treating COVID patients despite contradictory advice from the WHO.

“Members of the Committee and medical experts also lamented the openly negative view of DOH and FDA on ivermectin despite the different levels of evidence that have been presented on the effectiveness and safety of ivermectin,” said the 55-page committee report released on Wednesday. The House adopted the committee’s recommendations during its plenary session on Tuesday.

The DOH has repeatedly said there’s not enough evidence to prove ivermectin’s effectiveness in treating COVID-19, saying this could even lead to harmful effects. The FDA also warned that the use of ivermectin veterinary products for COVID-19 should be avoided since their benefits and safety have not been established.

The World Health Organization said evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials.

Solons also questioned the DOH reliance on recommendations from the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases on drugs that should be given emergency use authorization for COVID-19.

They claimed the society had “excessive influence” over the policies and decisions of the agencies. They said the DOH and FDA adopted the Living Clinical Practice Guidelines without any review or update based on the latest information from WHO, therefore neglecting its duties and showing a lack of professionalism.

“This presents a great danger considering most clinicians simply adhere to the recommendations of the DOH, which is of course accountable to the people for the policies and issuances it lays down,” the solons said.

The House panel added DOH and FDA failed to regulate the supply and prices of drugs used for COVID-19 treatment.

The committee also recommended the filing of charges against Duque, Domingo and FDA Director Joyce Cirunay for violating the Ease of Doing Business Act for their alleged failure to approve drug companies’ applications for automatic renewal within the prescribed period.