Senate reso eyed to ‘assail harassment’ vs tax expert amid Pharmally probe

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Pangilinan pushed for a Senate resolution that would assail “harassment” against a tax expert tapped by the blue ribbon committee to help the panel in scrutinizing the financial records of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

During Thursday’s blue-ribbon committee hearing, certified public accountant and tax expert Mon Abrea said he was informed that somebody has filed a complaint against him before the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) and is seeking to have his license revoked.

Abrea also said he received unsolicited advice to withdraw from the investigation, which is looking into the government’s pandemic purchases, particularly the multi-billion contracts awarded to Pharmally.

READ: ‘Ghost’ expenses? Tax expert says Pharmally has P3.4B in ‘unsupported’ purchases last year

Pangilinan suggested that a resolution be filed that would express the sense of the Senate “assailing this harassment.”

“[If] this is in connection with his testimonies here before the Senate Blue ribbon committee, I will seek the support of the members of the Senate that we file a sense of the Senate resolution assailing this harassment,” the senator said.

The resolution, Pangilinan proposed, should also urge the PRC “to dismiss or avoid or prevent any such harassment suits on the basis precisely of Mr. Abrea’s involvement in terms of providing us guidance to better understand the ins and outs of the accounting, of the financial statements of Pharmally.”

Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed support for Pangilinan’s proposed resolution.

“We are standing with him (Abrea) in these attempts to silence his important voice in the investigation,” she added.

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