Senate witness denies Pharmally’s bribery claim: Everything in my testimony was true
MANILA, Philippines — A witness cooperating with the Senate's inquiry into the government's deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. on Thursday denied the controversial firm's allegation that he was bribed to give false testimony.
The witness, a warehouseman employed by Pharmally, told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last week that he and other workers were instructed to repackage substandard face shields and switch out their expiry dates. An executive of the company, Krizle Grace Mago, shortly after corroborated his story.
"Lahat po 'yun totoo (Everything in my testimony was true)," the witness told reporters in a media briefing with Sen. Risa Hontiveros and her staff.
He also denied Pharmally's claim that a lawyer from Hontiveros' legislative staff approached him first and bribed him to give false testimony. "I [gave my testimony] voluntarily [and] I did not ask for any payment," the witness said in Filipino.
The lawyer in question, Jaye Bekema, also "categorically and absolutely" denied bribing the witness.
"On the point of the witness having lied or me forcing the witness to lie... Krizle Mago herself in unrehearsed testimony corroborated our witness in his statement that the face shield certificates were doctored," she said partially in Filipino.
Bekema also presented a screengrab showing that the witness' first contacted the office through an email on September 9, 2021.
Hontiveros' office presents a screengrab of the witness' first email on Sept. 9, 2021.
— Bella Perez-Rubio (@BellaPerezRubio) September 30, 2021
They reiterate that the witness' testimony was vetted for weeks before it was presented to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. | via @BellaPerezRubio pic.twitter.com/AQ1DWiM642
The senator in a statement released Wednesday emphasized that the witness' testimony was vetted for weeks and independently corroborated before it was presented to the Blue Ribbon last Friday.
Hontiveros: Pharmally lawyer deploying diversionary tactics
The allegations of bribery were floated this week by Ferdinand Topacio, a newly hired lawyer for Pharmally director Linconn Ong with a history of meddling with Senate inquiries.
He held a press briefing Wednesday where he presented a video of another Pharmally warehouseman who alleged that the Senate witness, who claimed was his co-worker "V-Jay," was bribed by Hontiveros' lawyer and paid through her driver.
Hontiveros accused Topacio of deploying a "diversionary tactic" in favor of his client, who is currently detained on contempt charges.
"My office has no history of bribery. And if we are talking about history, what we have is a history of protecting, defending, and caring for witnesses who approach me," she said in Filipino.
Topacio has threatened to file charges against the Senate for supposed abuse of its contempt powers and against Hontiveros, specifically, for the alleged bribery of a witness, earning the ire of several lawmakers.
He will likely face them later today as the Blue Ribbon Committee resumes its hearings on deficiencies in pandemic spending flagged by state auditors. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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