MANILA, Philippines — Senate sergeant-at-arms General Rene Samonte wanted the immediate transfer of Pharmally executives Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong to Pasay City Jail after Dargani failed to provide information on the location of the subpoenaed boxes containing the firm’s financial records.
Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the blue ribbon committee, on Sunday shared Samonte’s text message regarding the boxes.
“Hindi nakaalis kasi ayaw magbigay ng info kung saan pupunta, hindi daw nya alam kung nasaan – office or warehouse or residence. He was told that they can go to all three, pero ayaw pa din,” Samonte said in a message to Gordon.
(We did not leave because Dargani did not give information on where to go, he said that he does not know where the boxes are — office or warehouse or residence. He was told that they can go to all three, but he still does not want to.)
According to Samonte, Dargani said that his counsel Atty. Don Kapunan knows where the boxes are located. However, Kapunan has no idea what the documents in the boxes contained.
“Ang sabi ni Mohit ay alam daw ni Atty Kapunan, kaya pinatawagan ko. Muntik na daw mahulog ang lawyer sa upuan, kasi wala daw kaalam alam si Atty Kapunan kung ano man ang mga documents na yun,” Samonte said.
(Mohit said that Atty. Kapunan knows so I asked them to call him. The lawyer nearly fell out of his chair because he does not know what those documents are.)
With this development, Samonte recommended the immediate transfer of the executives to Pasay City Jail.
“It seems wala talagang boxes and boxes of documents, or ayaw ilabas kung meron man. I recommend ituloy na ang transfer order asap. I will see and talk to them pag may commitment order na to Pasay city jail,” he said.
(It seems there are no boxes and boxes of documents, or they do not want to release it, if there is one. I recommend to push through with the transfer order as soon as possible. I will see and talk to them when there is a commitment order to Pasay City Jail.)
Meanwhile, Gordon slammed the executives’ lies and decided to detain them in Pasay City Jail.
“Kaya sabi ko nga, hindi niyo ginawa. Hindi niyo naibigay ‘yung mga dokumento. Makukuha rin namin ‘yan… Pero kayo, we have enough. So, you better know na you’re going to go to Pasay City Jail and if you’re treated royally there, we’ll move you to another jail,” Gordon said in a video message.
(Like I said, you did not do it. You did not give the documents. We’ll obtain that… But you, we have enough.)
“Kaya kaming mga senador, everybody in the blue ribbon, ‘yan ang pasya namin at ikukulong sila dito sa Pasay City Jail,” he stressed.
(We senators, everybody in the blue ribbon committee, have decided that you will be detained here in Pasay City Jail.)
The Office of the Sergeant at Arms was ordered to escort Dargani to whichever place he will say to obtain the subpoenaed boxes containing Pharmally’s financial documents.
The firm is being investigated by the Senate blue ribbon committee over alleged irregularities in government deals worth billions of pesos for COVID-19 response supplies despite having a paid-up capital of only P625,000.
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