Hontiveros sees Senate probe into COVID-19 supply procurement ending late 2021, early 2022

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said the Senate investigation into the government's procurement of COVID-19 supplies could be wrapped up later this year or in early 2022, with the upper chamber then making its final recommendations.

"Yes. Anytime late this year or early next year na may sense na si Senate Blue Rbbon Committee Chairman [Richard Gordon], puwede na niyang sabihin, okay ito na ang huling hearing, adjourned na ito and then puwede nang simulan ang pagsulat ng final committee report," Hontiveros said at the Pandesal Forum after she was asked if there is a timeline for the end of the Senate blue ribbon committee probe.

(Anytime later this year or early next year, Dick Gordon may say that this could be the last hearing, it will be adjourned and then we can start writing the final committee report.)

On the Senate committee's possible findings, Hontiveros said they will probably recommend filing charges against former DBM-Procurement Service chief Christopher Lloyd Lao, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation officials, and former economic adviser Michael Yang.

She added that Pharmally foreign officials Huang Tzu Yen and his father, Huang Wen Lie, must also face complaints for alleged tax violations.

"We recall that the foreign officials of Pharmally, the elder and the younger Hwang, are already subject of standing warrants of arrest in Singapore and will probably be recommended for charges here also in the Philippines. With regards in particular violations of the New Procurement Law, and the Tax Code," the senator said.

The younger Huang had previously revealed in a Senate probe that his father, who has arrest warrants for securities fraud, stock manipulation, and embezzlement, had disappeared. 

In its initial findings, the Senate committee had already recommended that charges be filed against Pharmally  officials, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Warren Liong, Lao,  and Yang. — BM, GMA News