Michael Yang and Lloyd Christopher Lao
MANILA, Philippines — A House panel investigating the government procurement of COVID-19 pandemic supplies found no sufficient evidence to recommend the filing of charges against former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and former Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (PS-DBM) head Lloyd Christopher Lao.
This was according to Diwa Partylist Rep. Michael Aglipay, chair of the House committee on government and public accountability, who also revealed Monday that his panel recommended the filing of syndicated estafa charges against several officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. in relation to irregularities in its supply deals with the government.
Yang and Lao have been linked to overpriced contracts between the government and Pharmally for the procurement of supplies needed in the country’s pandemic response.
“So ang sagot ko po dyan sa tanong niyo kay Michael Yang and Christopher Lao, insufficiency of evidence. The evidence does not warrant or is not enough for cases to hold,” Aglipay said in a press briefing.
(My answer to your question regarding Michael Yang and Christopher Lao is insufficiency of evidence. The evidence does not warrant or is not enough for cases to hold.)
READ: House panel recommends estafa raps vs Pharmally execs over pandemic supplies
During the investigation in the Senate, it was found that Yang lent money to Pharmally to help the firm fulfill the government’s order of personal protective equipment sets (PPEs) in 2020. Yang, however, maintained that he did not finance Pharmally.
Lao, meanwhile, was the head of the PS-DBM during the procurement process.
In October 2021, the Senate blue ribbon committee recommended the filing of charges against Yang and Lao.
READ: Senate panel recommends charges vs Michael Yang, Pharmally, PS-DBM execs for pandemic fund mess
But the House committee on government and public accountability only recommended the filing of charges for syndicated estafa against Pharmally officials Huang Tzu Yen, Linconn Ong, Mohit Dargani, Twinkle Dargani, Justine Garado, and Krizle Grace Mago
“Dito kami nagkakaiba ng Senado. Hindi ako nagpapadala sa emosyon, wala akong ka-close diyan, wala akong kakilala… So lahat ‘yan I take it lahat ng nangyari sa committee ay based sa evidence lang po and we undertook all procedures and processes legally and fairly,” Aglipay said.
(That’s where we differ with the Senate. I don’t allow myself to give in to emotions, I am not close with anyone. I don’t know anyone… I take everything that happened in the committee based on evidence and we undertook all procedures and processes legally and fairly.)
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