Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 30) — The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday issued a subpoena against a Pharmally accountant said to be blocking the release of financial documents needed in the probe on the company.
Committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon asked that accountant Jeff Mariano be required to testify before the panel and submit the files which would back Pharmally’s financial statement.
The committee’s move came after outsourced auditor Iluminada Sebial failed to answer Senator Franklin Drilon’s questions on the firm’s financial report, which she audited and signed. Included in the records are over ₱7 billion in sales and ₱33 million in donations to different government offices last year.
Sebial said she was merely tapped for a one-time auditing job and that she was only provided by Pharmally with a list of the transactions.
When she asked for the supporting documents, she said Pharmally refused to comply.
“One time lang po ‘yung chineck ko nga po ‘yung mga ano, tapos ngayon pong humihingi po ako ng mga documents, ayaw na po nila magbigay,” she said.
[Translation: I only audited that one time, and when I later asked for the documents, they refused to provide them to me.]
Asked to specify the person she was referring to, Sebial pointed to Mariano.
Pharmally president Twinkle Dargani confirmed that Mariano is the company’s accountant but added that she personally doesn’t know Sebial.
₱4,000 fee
When Gordon asked how much Sebial was paid to examine the company’s multi-billion financial statement, the auditor replied that she received ₱4,000.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry ha. I know nasasaktan kayo nang kaunti dahil parang ang laki-laki ng binubuhat sa shoulder ninyo, tapos ₱4,000 lamang pala ang sinweldo ninyo,” Gordon said. “I’m sorry maiipit kayo dito.”
[Translation: Ma’am, I’m sorry. I know you’re somewhat hurt because you seem to have so much weight on your shoulders, and it turned out you were only paid ₱4,000. I’m sorry you’ll be caught in this.]
Earlier in the hearing, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sebial’s license may be revoked over her failure to comply with the rules of her profession.
“Ang pagkakaalam ko kapag kayo’y nag-audit at nag-certify, kailangan meron kayong kopya,” he said. “Kasi kapag wala kayong kopya na sarili ninyo, pwede kayong mareklamo…at maalisan kayo ng lisensya.”
[Translation: To my knowledge, if you audit and certify a report, you should have your own copy. Because if you don’t, a complaint may be filed against you and you may lose your license.]
Pharmally is being investigated by both houses of Congress after it bagged billions of pesos worth of contracts from the government despite having only ₱625,000 in capital. It is also being probed for supplying allegedly overpriced medical items amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
