Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 18) — An executive of a controversial government medical supplier was allowed leave from detention to visit his son suffering from dengue.
In a statement on Friday, Senator Richard Gordon said the Blue Ribbon committee let Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong visit his two-year-old son in the hospital “for humanitarian reasons” and upon the plea his wife. Ong is detained at the Pasay city jail.
READ: Pharmally exec’s wife appeals to Senate to release husband from jail
“For humanitarian reasons, but without wavering on or compromising our position regarding his contempt of the Senate, I, as Chairman of the committee, will allow Mr. Ong fully escorted visits to his son in hospital for a limited time per day on dates to be set by the committee, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, and authorities of the Pasay city jail,” Gordon said.
Gordon is chairman of the committee investigating the alleged questionable multibillion-peso deal between the government and Pharmally for the purchase of COVID-19 response supplies.
Gordon said Ong “continues to be detained because of his failure to purge himself of his defiant conduct.”
“Mr. Ong’s continuing detention is a matter that can really only be determined by his acts: will he continue to be evasive or will he not; will he tell the truth finally or will he not; will he purge himself of his contumacious acts or will he not?” he added.
