FDA: No one jailed yet over unregistered health products

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January 27, 2026 | 4:07pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senators on Tuesday slammed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their failure to imprison bad actors who sell fake or unregistered medical products.

During the hearing of the Committee on Health and Demography, Sen. Erwin Tulfo questioned FDA officials if they have been able to file cases and imprison the sellers of fake or unregistered products.

FDA Director General Paolo Teston said that the FDA has been able to file around 3,000 administrative cases. The penalty for these cases ranged from P50,000 to P500,000.

However, criminal cases were a different matter.

FDA Director III Franklin Anthony Tabaquin would later admit that they have yet to jail anyone over these unlicensed goods.

“Based on available records, Your Honor, meron na ho mga nakasuhan at meron na ho ano. Yung nakulong po kasi wala. Dahil binayaran po kasi yung fine lang po kasi yung naging penalty,” Tabaquin said.

(Based on available records, Your Honor, there are cases filed. But not have been jailed. Because they pay the fine and the penalty.)

Erwin Tulfo expressed disappointment over the FDA’s dismal performance, saying that it was public health being put at risk.

The FDA said that it would be open for lawmakers to amend the law, declaring the selling of counterfeit or unregistered goods as economic sabotage.

Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo slammed the FDA for allowing the proliferation of fake and unregistered goods online and in physical stores. The senator went as far as to present unlicensed Chinese products that proliferated in Binondo, as well as fake over-the-counter drugs.

The issue was made worse by online selling platforms, he added.

“Dahil sa online selling platforms, halos lahat ngayon ay one click away. Pero kasabay ng convenience, one click away na rin ang panganib,” Raffy Tulfo said.

(Because of online selling platforms, everything is one click away. But with convenience, it is also one click away from danger.)

Some sellers even used his likeness to make it seem like he enforced it, he added.

With fake and unlicensed medicines running rampant online and offline, Raffy Tulfo slammed Teston for his management of the FDA, challenging him to resign.

Teston said that he served at the pleasure of the people and if there was someone better than him to lead the agency, he would tender his resignation.

The Anti-Red Tape Authority had named the FDA as one agency with the most complaints received by them in 2025.