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House panel wants Pharmally's Mago present during probe on COVID-19 items purchase
By ANNA FELICIA BAJO,GMA News The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability will summon Krizle Mago, the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation official who bared that their face shield expiration dates had been tampered with, to shed light on last year's government purchase of COVID-19 medical supplies.
Panel chairperson Representative Michael Aglipay said the committee had voted to issue a subpoena ad testificandum on Mago, who was reported to be unreachable since her revelation during last Friday's Senate inquiry.
The House committee has been investigating the issue "to thresh out the truth, without political bias or agenda."
Aglipay said Mago could attend the congressional inquiry, scheduled on October 4, virtually.
"Ms. Mago, if she's hiding, she can appear via Zoom in her location. We just require her presence to ferret out the truth," said Aglipay.
"With the allegations that the committee is one-sided, if we are one-sided we will not anymore invite Ms. Mago, hence we will just leave her to be quiet in the darkness. But we want her here to know the whole truth. And it's unanimously approved by both sides - by the majority and the minority."
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In a separate ANC interview, Senator Risa Hontiveros said Mago is safe and has been communicating with other groups.
Aglipay, meanwhile, acknowledged the work of the Senate in probing the controversial government procurement, noting that he does not want the upper chamber's investigation to end.
He just urged his fellow lawmakers to be "fair" in the course of the investigation.
"Do not get me wrong, I do not want the Senate hearings to stop, to the credit of my fellow parliamentarians, the Senate has been working hard," Aglipay said.
"However, it is my humble preference for our good senators to be fair in conducting their investigation, and to let witnesses speak freely," he added.
Aglipay also reiterated that the House inquiry into the matter was neither a witch hunt nor a fishing expedition. — DVM, GMA News