Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)— The Senate has yet to take into custody several individuals tagged in its investigation on the alleged anomalous supply deals involving Pharmally Pharmaceutical.
In a text message to CNN Philippines on Tuesday, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Rene Samonte said the chamber’s security personnel tried to arrest the said individuals in their known addresses on January 29, but they could no longer be found.
Among them is controversial businesswoman Rose Nono Lin, wife of Pharmally financial manager Lin Wei Xiong, and an aspirant for a congressional seat representing Quezon City. She previously testified in the legislative inquiry but later caught the ire of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon after skipping the last two hearings — first due to a typhoon in her area, and recently after she reportedly contracted the coronavirus infection.
“The lawyer of Rose Lin said she was in quarantine, positive for COVID-19, but did not disclose where she was,” Samonte said.
“All the others were not present in the addresses provided to us,” he added.
During its 18th hearing on January 27, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee formally sought the arrest of Lin and four others who have been mentioned in the months-long probe. The four are Gerald Cruz, Sophia Custodio, Dennis Manalastas, and Jason Uson. Samonte confirmed the issuance of an arrest order against them.
During the past several months, Senate security personnel have also been trying to locate resigned Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao – then head of the Procurement Service when it awarded billions of pesos worth of supply contracts to Pharmally, and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang – the Chinese businessman who allegedly lent funds Pharmally needed to transact with the government.
Marathon Senate hearings have centered on how Pharmally – apparently a tiny corporation with insufficient capital – managed to corner big-time contracts for the supply of medical goods during the pandemic. Lawmakers and resource persons raised concerns on possible overpricing, ghost deliveries, and tax evasion, among others.
In a press conference on Monday, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability recommended charges against six Pharmally officers for syndicated estafa, and against two PS-DBM inspectors for falsification of public documents. It virtually cleared Lao and Yang, saying there’s insufficient evidence against them. The House committee also ruled out overpricing in the purchase of COVID-19 supplies.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was initially scheduled to release its own preliminary report on Monday, but it did not push through. Senator Risa Hontiveros, a member of the panel, said she received a copy of the initial findings Tuesday morning.
She refused to comment on the House report, but said in a statement, “I stand by the evidence of the Senate BROOM (Blue Ribbon Oversight Office Management), including evidence on overpricing of COVID-19 materials.”
Gordon has until this week to sponsor the report at the plenary for the rest of the senators to approve before both houses of Congress go on a three-month break.
