Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) – The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee cited for contempt and issued an arrest order against five individuals connected to the alleged anomalous government purchase of COVID-19 medical supplies.
The five persons cited in the arrest order snubbed Thursday’s hearing.
The committee reiterated its standing arrest order against former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao.
Lao is the former head of DBM’s Procurement Service (PS-DBM) office, which dealt with controversial firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation in the procurement of allegedly overpriced personal protective equipment and COVID-19 testing kits.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee failed to arrest Lao when they first issued the arrest order in November last year. The body also rejected Lao’s motion for reconsideration on the arrest order and contempt citation.
The Senate panel also ordered the arrest of other individuals connected to the controversial Pharmally deal, including former Pharmally Biological executive Rose Nono Lin, Gerald Cruz, Jayson Uson, Sophia Custodio, and Dennis Manalastas.
Lin failed to appear in the Senate hearing on Thursday. According to a letter from her lawyer and a medical certificate, she was being tested for COVID-19 and other ailments.
Lin is associated with alleged Pharmally financier and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang.
Cruz and Uson are alleged former Pharmally Pharmaceutical officials.
Custodio, the girlfriend of embattled Pharmally executive Mohit Dargani, is the president of a firm named Business Beyond Limits OPC that is incorporated with the controversial company.
Manalastas is an official of the Philippine United Technic Corporation, which is involved in the purchase of COVID-19 test kits by PS-DBM.
“This is not a punishment. This is just asserting and requiring that people respect the processes of the Senate. Otherwise, we would become a paper tiger,” said committee chairperson Sen. Richard Gordon.
The Senate earlier ordered to detain Dargani and Linconn Ong, another Pharmally official, for their refusal to directly answer the senators’ questions during past hearings.
