Flight is a sign of guilt, Hontiveros says on Dargani siblings’ attempt to leave country prior to arrest

Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — If the Dargani siblings under question over the issue faced by Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. had nothing to hide, why were they leaving the country?

Senator Risa Hontiveros had this to say in an interview with INQside Look following the arrest of Pharmally executives Twinkle Dargani and her brother Mohit Dargani in Davao City on Sunday as they were about to flee to Malaysia despite being cited in contempt amid the Senate blue ribbon committee’s investigation on the national government’s pandemic spending.

“It’s very telling, ‘yung kakulangan nila ng pagrespeto sa proseso ng Senado at higit sa amin, their lack of recognition and respect for the public’s apparent intense desire to get the answers to those questions,” Hontiveros said.

(It’s very telling of their lack of respect for the process of the Senate, their lack of recognition and respect for the public’s apparent intense desire to get the answers to those questions.)

“Bakit ganun sila kalakas loob na umalis sa hearing, wala man lang paalam sa aming chairman to be absent for several hearings and now to attempt flight? Sinasabi nga na flight is a sign of guilt kasi kung wala kang tinatago, bakit ka iiwas?” the senator added.

(Why are they so unafraid to just not attend the hearings several times without telling our chairman and now to attempt flight? Like what they say, flight is a sign of guilt because if you have nothing to hide, why would you avoid us?)

The Dargani siblings had been cited for contempt and ordered detained in the Senate for their “refusal” to submit documents earlier subpoenaed by the blue ribbon committee. Prior to their arrest, the siblings had apparently gone into hiding.

The siblings were arrested at around 5 p.m. over the weekend at Davao City Airport aboard a plane bound for Kuala Lumpur.

EDV