THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday, November 4, 2021, ordered the arrest of former Procurement Service (PS)-Department of Budget Management (DBM) officer-in-charge Christopher Lloyd Lao.
The arrest was ordered for Lao’s repeated failure to attend the resumption of the investigation on alleged irregularities in the use of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic funds by the Department of Health (DOH) as flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
During the resumption of the committee inquiry, Senator Francis Pangilinan moved to issue an order of contempt against Lao when asked by the committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon.
Senator Risa Hontiveros seconded the motion.
“Wala ka na po sa gobyerno, kailangan humarap ka (You are no longer in the government you have to face the inquiry),” said Gordon, who approved the motion.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte issued an order preventing his Cabinet members from participating in the ongoing investigation, which unearthed the alleged corruption in the government, particularly during the procurement of medical supplies during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Duterte cited the time the hearings consume, as well as the lawmakers’ “blatant” disrespect to his Cabinet members.
The Senate is preparing a petition to be filed before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the order, which according to Gordon was the reason for the delay of the probe.
"Pinapaalam ko lang po sa mga mamamayan natin na talagang kung may delay, ang may kasalanan po ay ang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, hindi po tayo," said Gordon.
(I am just telling the public that if there was really a delay, it’s not our fault but of President Rodrigo Duterte.)
"Kung walang haharap na mga opisyales ng ehekutibo, mahihirapan kaming makalakap ng mga datos. Tatagal, at kahit may kahirapan at katagalan, kung talagang walang kooperasyon ang mga kinauukulan ay talagang talo ang tao. May karapatan ang tao [malaman] kung ano ang katiwalian," he added.
(It will be difficult for us to gather data if officials of the executive department are not appearing in the hearings. The hearings will last long and it’s the people’s loss if those involved will not cooperate. The people have the right to know the anomalies.)
Lao has been in hot water for awarding over P8 billion worth of contracts to start-up firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation without due diligence or checking the background or capability of the company.
Pharmally incorporated in the Philippines in 2019 with a start-up capital of around P600,000.
Although they were able to fulfil their deals with PS, the lawmakers said the medical products supplied by Pharmally were “overpriced” as compared to other bidders at that time, which included local manufacturers.
Lawmakers dug into the issue on Pharmally and found out about its links to former presidential adviser Michael Yang, which according to the firm’s owner, Huang Tzu Yen, financed some of their transactions.
Links between Yang and Pharmally prompted the lawmakers to think that it was the reason why Lao, who is a presidential appointee, favored the said company. (SunStar Philippines)