Duterte ignores Senate probe report on Pharmally

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has brushed aside the recommendations of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the government’s allegedly overpriced COVID-19 supply contracts, but maintained that his administration would not do anything that would jeopardize the trust of the people.

The Senate panel, which looked into the administration’s pandemic supply deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., recommended the filing of charges against Duterte after he steps down from office, for defending officials involved in what it called a “horrible crime” against the public.

A partial report released by the Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon accused Duterte of betraying public trust and of tolerating the supposed misdeeds of his associates and appointees.

The investigation on the Pharmally contracts was launched after the Commission on Audit reported that some P42 billion was transferred from the Department of Health to the budget department’s procurement service without supporting documents.

Duterte, who had accused senators of using the pandemic supply deals to gain publicity, was calm when he brought up the controversy during his public address on Monday.

Unlike his previous speeches, where he attacked Gordon and other senators who scrutinized the transactions, the President said he would not waste the time of Filipinos reacting to the Senate panel’s recommendation.

“There will be a time when we will discuss the Blue Ribbon committee report. But you’re right, you ignore it because it’s really nothing. Well, there will be a time to answer them fully and concisely but it is not now,” he said.

Duterte said he could have pocketed state funds when he was still a mayor if he was really corrupt.

The committee report also recommended the filing of plunder cases against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III; former budget department procurement service head Lloyd Christopher Lao; former procurement service director and now Deputy Ombudsman Warren Rex Liong; Duterte’s former economic adviser Michael Yang, who reportedly served as Pharmally’s financier and guarantor; Pharmally chairman Huang Tzu Yen; Pharmally finance officer Lin Weixiong as well as Pharmally executives Linconn Ong, Mohit Dargani, Twinkle Dargani and Krizle Grace Mago.

The panel also called for the prosecution of Duque, Lao, Yang, Liong, Ong, Huang, Lin, Mago and the Darganis for supposedly violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.