FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
1 
Senate Bill 
E No. 
ATk28 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
It is pathetic to note that many of our sick but indigent countrymen who are 
medically attended to in public hospitals and diagnosed as suffering from certain 
ailment and prescribed the needed medicines, are nonetheless helpless in 
having their illness cured because of lack of means to buy medicines as 
prescribed. 
the patient is meaningless. 
Again, poverty is depriving many indigent patients of the rare opportunity 
of medical advancement and recent discoveries on cure of diseases because the 
medicines are hardly affordable and far from the indigent patient's reach. 
Medical attention without the concomitant medicines being administered to 
The most appropriate and quick source of funding for free medicines tu 
indigent patients is the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) of local government 
units. 
It is the purpose of the bill to set aside a certain percentage of the IRA 
budget for acquisition of medicines for free distribution to indigent patients in their 
respective localities. 
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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO EARMARK A PORTION OF THEIR 
INTERNAL REVENUE ALLOTMENTS FOR FREE MEDICINES TO INDIGENT 
PATIENTS IN THEIR LOCALITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be if enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of fhe Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Local Government to Earmark a Portion of /RA for Free 
Medicines. - It shall be the obligation of all local governments to set aside and 
earmark a portion of their Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) for appropriation for 
free medicines to be distributed to the public hospitals, clinics, dispensaries or 
other outlets to indigent patients for free in their localities. 
SEC. 2. Indigent Patients, defined; How dispensed. - Indigent patients 
are those who have no visible means of income or whose income is insufficient 
for the subsistence of his or her family as identified by the local social welfare 
department; Provided, However, that the local government shall maintain a list 
confirmed by the barangay officials concerned where the indigent patient resides 
and to issue an identifying document to insure that the free medicines are 
properly dispensed to deserving recipients; Provided, Further, that said hospitals, 
clinics or dispensaries shall, as far as practicable, establish their own pharmacy 
or outlets within their premises and maintain sufficient stock or quantity of the 
most common prescribed medicines in order to immediately provide the free 
medicines to the indigent patients. 
SEC. 3. Regular Accounting. - All pharmacies or outlets distributing or 
dispensing free medicines shall render periodic accounting of such disbursement 
duly posted in at least three (3) public bulletin boards specifying the patient‘s 
name, address, doctor prescribing the medicine and the amount or cost of the 
medicine. 
SEC. 
4. 
Acts Constituting Violations of this Act; Penalty. - In 
addition to the criminal liability incurred by persons for violating pertinent 
provisions of the Revised Penal Code or other special laws, the following acts 
shall constitute a crime under this Act. 
(a) Preparing a list or certification that a patient is indigent when he is not; 


(b) Submitting, preparing or altering any document to make it appear that 
any legitimate acquisition, purchase, disbursement or distribution had 
been made for free medicines when in fact there is none; 
(c) Diverting, concealing or using for other use or purpose, the funds for 
(d) Dispensing or distributing the free medicines under this Act other than 
(e) Selling or disposing of the free medicines; and 
(f) Marking up or padding the purchase cost of medicines acquired under 
(9) Knowingly purchasing expired medicines or those expiring within one 
Those found guilty of committing any of the acts above defined shall be 
sentenced to an imprisonment of not less than two (2) years nor more than seven 
(7) years. 
free medicines; 
to indigent patients; 
this Act; and, 
(1) year from date of purchase. 
SEC. 5. Separability Clause. - If any of the sections or provisions of this 
Act is held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid. 
SEC. 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) 
days after its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved,