Lawyer Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III may be remembered as the fighting human rights advocate who authored the first bill on Universal Health Care (UHC) when he was a congressman.
Tañada’s advocacy for the Filipinos’ right to health care has not wavered.
He takes his advocacy seriously, as when he pursued the case of two doctors and a pharma firm who were mentioned last year at a Senate committee hearing led by Sen. Christopher Go in connection with certain commercial and marketing malpractices in the field of medicine.
Tañada filed an administrative complaint before the Professional Regulation Commission, Board of Medicine, last July.
Now, the lawyer welcomed the Board of Medicine’s decision to proceed with the formal investigation of the administrative case against Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. officers Dr. Luis Raymond Go and Dr. Viannely Berwyn Flores for alleged dishonorable and unprofessional conduct.
In a 12-page resolution, the PRC Board of Medicine denied Dr. Flores’ motion to dismiss and likewise rejected all reliefs sought by Dr. Go in his omnibus motion. The Board further ordered both respondents to file their verified answers or counter-affidavits within 10 days from receipt of the resolution.
The resolution of the Board of Medicine dated Nov. 26, 2025 ruled on Administrative Case No. 3513 and released by Atty. Carla Evangeline Ujano, chief of the hearing and investigation division.
It was signed by Efren Laxamana, chairperson, and members Joanna Remo, Martha Nucum, Prudencio Sta. Lucia Jr. and Policarpio Jovez Jr., while Joselito Chavez inhibited.
Tañada said the PRC’s ruling affirms the gravity of the allegations involving the doctors’ roles in Bell-Kenz’s purported multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme—an issue that has raised urgent concerns over ethics, conflict of interest, and patient welfare within the medical profession
“This is a step toward making doctors accountable,” Tañada said. “We have asserted that the alleged Bell-Kenz scheme goes beyond corporate marketing—its true harm lies in how it compromises the independence and integrity of medical judgment. The PRC Board’s decision finally recognizes that these allegations must be fully investigated.”
The Board emphasized in its resolution that the complaint sufficiently alleges violations of the Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession, particularly the charge that both physicians participated in unethical and dishonorable conduct. It further stressed that while related allegations may be subject to separate actions before other agencies, the PRC can independently pursue its mandate to ensure ethical medical practice.
Tañada noted that this aligns with his position that a doctor’s involvement in an MLM scheme raises red flags that cannot be ignored when the medical profession is expressly bound by strict ethical rules prohibiting conflicts of interest.
“The PRC made it clear: ethical violations stand on their own,” he said. “You cannot hide behind technicalities when the core issue is whether doctors used their profession—and public trust—for commercial gain. That is precisely why this case must move forward.”
“We filed this case because we believe the medical profession must stay true to its oath. The PRC Board of Medicine’s resolution is a step forward—and we will continue pushing until full accountability is achieved,” Tañada said.
This development is significant because the formal investigation of the administrative case will afford the two doctors the opportunity to defend themselves from the accusations.
The issue should not end with the final resolution of this case — the probe should be taken up by other government agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry, if they are interested in finding more space for reforms in the health sector.
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