‘Still missing:’ Pharmally’s Mago a no-show in Senate probe

Krizle Grace Mago —SENATE SCREEN GRAB

MANILA, Philippines — Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. official Krizle Mago failed to appear in the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation on Thursday, several days after she broke contact following her damning revelations against the firm.

Blue ribbon committee director-general Rudy Quimbo said Mago was not logged into the hearing, which is being held completely online.

“She is not here, she is not present,” Quimbo told senators.

“So she’s still missing?” committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon asked, to which Quimbo answered in the affirmative.

Quimbo added that Mago, the firm’s Regulatory Affairs head, did not inform the committee by email that she was going to attend the hearing.

“Our resource persons are requested to email us beforehand so that we can provide them the link, neither has she emailed us,” he said.

Gordon requested that the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms locate Mago.

“She did say she was gonna see us after that last meeting but she did not show up…she’s a very material witness,” the senator said.

“She’s more than just somebody who appears to be a clerk, I think she knows a lot more and she does a lot more for Pharmally,” Gordon added.

Pharmally corporate secretary and treasurer Mohit Dargani also said he has not heard from Mago since Saturday morning.

Senator Risa Hontiveros described Mago’s absence as “very concerning.”

The Senate offered to provide Mago with protective custody after her testimony, but the Senate blue ribbon committee has not been able to reach her since last Friday’s hearing.

The panel has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to help locate Mago.

Senators have been looking into the government’s transactions with Pharmally, which was awarded over P8.6 billion worth of supply contracts for medical supplies in 2020 despite being only several months old and having just P625,000 in paid-up capital.

/MUF