(POLITIKO) Doctors working in cahoots with Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. allegedly earn as much as P2 million monthly from prescribing medicines manufactured by the firm even if their patients do not need it, Senator Jinggoy Estrada has claimed.
Doctors working in cahoots with Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. allegedly earn as much as P2 million monthly from prescribing medicines manufactured by the firm even if their patients do not need it, Senator Jinggoy Estrada has claimed.
In a privilege speech Monday (April 29), Estrada gave the lowdown on the supposed multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme involving the Filipino-owned pharmaceutical firm and several doctors. He said the business model has terms inspired by Star Wars, which is reportedly a favorite of top Bell-Kenz Pharma executives.
The “Jedis” are doctors who belong to the core group, while below them are the “Padawans,” which in Star Wars parlance refer to the apprentice of the Jedi.
“Not everybody can be part of this group. Only doctors who are recommended by a Jedi and all other Jedis will be accepted. If there’s one Jedi who disapproves of a particular doctor for whatever reason, that doctor cannot be a Jedi,” Estrada explained. “They do this approval process via the Jedi Viber group. The reason why a Jedi recommends a doctor is mostly based on friendship, practice, and influence.”
Jedis who reach the sales quota set by the company are reportedly entitled to the following perks:
- 8% rebates based on monthly productivity (around P2 million);
- Milestone point, with 1 point equivalent to P100. A point is earned from a minimum of P2,700 worth of prescribed brand sales. They can be used for redeeming items such as household appliances, luxury goods and overseas trips
- Yearly performance bonus;
- Dividends and growth of sales;
- Annual “Jedi star tour,” with the destination located in Asia, the United States or Europe
In addition to having connections and prescribing medicine, Estrada said doctors who wish to be a Jedi must invest between P250,000 and P500,000,
“The Jedis also earn from the prescription of the “down-line” doctors they recruit. If the down-line doctor is not an investor, the recruiting doctor earns a six (6) percent rebate from every prescription of company products made by the down-line doctor,” he explained.
Padawans, meanwhile, don’t have doctors below them but they could receive dividends, rebates and milestone points in exchange for prescribing drugs.
He identified Luis Raymond T. Go as the firm’s president, Alina Fatima M. Hojilla as the vice president, Joseph Vincent T. Go as the corporate secretary, and Jaime F. Cayetano Jr. as the treasurer. Bell-Kenz Pharma allegedly counts 58 doctors as stockholders.
Estrada said Bell-Kenz allegedly taps doctors as sales representatives even if it’s against their code of ethics.
“Dahil madami silang na re-recruit, natural lamang na mabilis din ang paglago ng kumpanya. Mula sa isang bilyon na benta noong 2016, tumaas pa ito at umabot sa P3.2 bilyon noong 2018 at P5 bilyon noong 2019,” he said.