The Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) Board of Medicine has denied motions to dismiss an administrative complaint against officers of a pharmaceutical firm and ordered them to proceed with the formal investigation into allegations of unprofessional and dishonorable conduct.

In a 12-page resolution, the PRC Board denied Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. officers Dr. Luis Raymond Go and Dr. Viannely Berwyn Flores’ motion to dismiss and rejected all reliefs sought in Go’s omnibus motion.

The Board directed both respondents to file their verified answers or counter-affidavits within 10 days of receiving the resolution.

Lawyer and human rights advocate Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, who filed the administrative complaint in July, welcomed the ruling, saying that the decision 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 concerns over ethics, conflicts of interest and patient welfare.

“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 stressed 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 stressed that while related allegations may be subject to separate actions before other agencies, the PRC has an independent mandate to ensure ethical medical practice.

Tañada cited that the PRC rejected claims that the complaint lacked sufficient evidence, citing that the case is supported by transcripts of the doctors’ own sworn testimonies during a Senate inquiry last year.

These admissions, a certified true copy of which was submitted by the complainant, form the core factual basis of the case, according to the Board.

The formal investigation will commence upon the filing of the respondents’ verified answers. Should they fail to comply, the PRC warned that they may be declared in default.