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PHARMALLY PROBE
Dargani siblings' attempt to flee 'a clear sign of guilt' —Gordon
By HANA BORDEY,GMA NewsThe alleged attempt of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation officers to flee the Philippines is a “clear sign of guilt,” Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon said Monday.
“Flight, especially on an expensive international chartered jet, is truly a clear sign of guilt. Evasion has always been the strategy of the guilty. This should also apply to former PS-DBM Undersecretary Lao who has also been evading arrest,” Gordon said in a statement.
The Senator made the remark after the Dargani siblings, Mohit and Twinkle, were arrested
at the Davao International Airport in Davao City at around 5 p.m. on Sunday and also after the arresting team from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) failed to arrest Lloyd Christopher Lao from his known residences in Quezon and Davao cities.Mohit, Pharmally’s corporate secretary and treasurer, and Twinkle, the firm’s president, were on board a chartered plane bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when arrested.
According to Gordon, a concerned citizen had given them an information regarding the siblings on Sunday at around 5 p.m. He also recalled that Mohit has two passports, one from Philippines and one from another country.
“Once again, it is very obvious that Pharmally executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani were trying to abscond from any liabilities in the alleged anomalous deals they entered with the government in the procurement of COVID-19 medical supplies,” he said.
“We knew they were hatching their grand escape via the back door…It is, however, not surprising that they sought sanctuary in the President’s home town of Davao and plotted to execute their grand escape from there.” he added.
Gordon said the Dargani siblings will be detained at the Senate “until they tell the Filipino people the whole truth.”
In an interview on Super Radyo DzBB, Senate Sergeant-At-Arms retired Major General Rene Samonte said they were informed of the Dargani siblings' scheduled flight to Malaysia on Saturday. He said it coincided with the OSAA officers' arrival in Davao City last week to arrest Lao.
Samonte said the Darganis were "very cooperative" but when they arrived in Manila, Mohit tried to run back to the airplane but was caught immediately by the arresting officers from the OSAA.
The Dargani siblings had undergone a medical evaluation prior to their detention, Samonte said. They have also reached out to their lawyer.
On the other hand, Samonte believes that Lao is still in the Philippines even though his arresting team failed to serve the arrest warrant in three addresses which were confirmed as Lao's place of residence.
"From all indications, we believe nandito lang naman sa Pilipinas (he is here in the Philippines)," Samonte said.
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Lao formerly headed the Department of Budget Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM), which made the transactions being probed by the Senate blue ribbon committee.
Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson said personalities who are being questioned by the Senate blue ribbon committee regarding the procurement of medical supplies should not think Davao City will be their safe haven.
“What I can say about this is there is no safe haven on earth. Even for people like Michael Yang, Christopher Lao, Dargani siblings, Davao City is not safe… They should stop thinking na hindi sila pwedeng magalaw doon (that they will be untouchables there)…as what’s proven last night or late afternoon yesterday,” he said in an ANC interview.
“They are now in the Senate premises and they will be forced, gamitin natin ang (let’s use the) word na forced, to attend the November 25 Blue Ribbon committee hearing,” he added.
Lacson lauded the OSAA for preventing the Pharmally officials' escape from the country, saying "had the Dargani siblings flown outside the Philippines, wala na, parang putol na rin tayo (our investigation will turn to nothing.)"
The arrest of the Daragani siblings should also be a sign for Michael Yang, President Duterte's former economic adviser, to be more careful as there is already a standing arrest warrant against him.
“Of course, he will be more careful this time after the arrest of the Dargani siblings and so is Christopher Lao, because both of them have been already cited in contempt of the Senate, of the committee, and have warrants of arrest against their persons,” he added.
For his part, Senator Francis Pangilinan lauded the OSAA for acting swiftly on those who “wasted” the government’s COVID-19 funds to buy luxury cars as well as Senate President Vicente Sotto III for keeping the Senate an “independent and co-equal branch” of the government.
He said this should be a warning for those who are involved in the transactions regarding the procurement of COVID-19 supplies.
“Sa magkapatid na Dargani, wala ring magsa-substitute sa inyo diyan sa pansamantalang kulungan. Paparusahan ang lahat ng hindi marunong rumespeto o sa nagbabalewala sa mga kautusan at alituntunin ng Senado bilang institusyon,” he said.
(To the Dargani siblings, no one will substitute you here inside the detention cells. There will be penalties for the people who do not know how to respect and follow the orders of the Senate as an institution.)
On the other hand, Senator Risa Hontiveros said she hopes the Dargani siblings will fully cooperate with the Senate's investigation.
At the Pandesal Forum, Hontiveros said the siblings will be compelled to face the Senate blue ribbon committee where they will also be questioned on their reported attempt to flee the country.
“Kapag naipaharap na muli ang magkapatid na Darghani sa aming Komite sana sumagot na sila ng kumpleto at makatotohanan sa mga importanteng nakabitin na tanong lalo na yung cost of goods sold nila sa gobyerno para makwenta na once and for all kung mayroon at kung magkano pang taxes na utang nila sa gobyerno,” Hontiveros said.
(If they face our committee, I hope they answer us completely and with honesty especially on the information of their cost of goods sold to the government and to determine their unpaid taxes.) — with Consuelo Marquez/KBK/RSJ, GMA News