Pharmally execs walk free from jail

Metro Manila, June 2 ------ Detained officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. walk free from the Pasay City Jail today.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed the release orders for Pharmally executives Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong, the same day the upper chamber adjourned for its last session day in the 18th Congress. According to the documents shared to the media, the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms was directed to deliver the papers to Pasay City Jail Warden Supt. Ramil Vestra for its “immediate implementation.” Dargani and Ong were detained late last year for failing to submit documents requested by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for its inquiry on the allegedly anomalous multibillion-peso deal between the government and Pharmally for the purchase of medical supplies for COVID-19 response.

In an interview, Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said he did not approve the release. He believes Dargani and Ong should stay in jail until the 18th Congress officially closes on June 30. The panel’s draft report on the Pharmally controversy has failed to hurdle the committee level as it lacks at least two more signatures that will complete the nine required before it reaches the Senate plenary floor.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said they did not sign the report because they did not agree with the recommendation to charge President Rodrigo Duterte. “I’ll be very honest about it. Kung wala doon ‘yung pangalan ni President Duterte for plunder I'll sign it…Circumstantial evidence eh, by association kaya sinama. Kung tanggalin lang ‘yun, I’ll sign. If it’s just the Pharmally executives wala akong problema,” Zubiri explained.

Source: cnnphilippines.com