Lacson cites ‘strong reservations’ that Duterte ‘betrayed public trust’ in Pharmally mess

Former presidential adviser on economic affairs Michael Yang with President Duterte during a meeting with officials of Pharmally Pharmaceuticals in Davao City. Image from the March 18, 2017 video of RTVM Malacañang

MANILA, Philippines — While Senator Panfilo Lacson signed the Senate blue ribbon report on the alleged anomalous deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. at the height of the pandemic, he has “strong reservations” over the comment that President Rodrigo Duterte “betrayed [the] public trust.”

Lacson, who serves as the vice chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said that he will interpellate once the report reaches the upper chamber’s plenary floor.

“I signed the Committee report as Blue Ribbon Vice-Chairman but with strong reservations on the ‘betrayal of public trust’ comment/recommendation,” Lacson said in a tweet Thursday.

Pharmally: I signed the Committee report as Blue Ribbon Vice-Chairman but with strong reservations on the “betrayal of public trust” comment/recommendation. I will also interpellate in case it is reported out for plenary deliberations to clarify its findings.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) February 3, 2022

“I will also interpellate in case it is reported out for plenary deliberations to clarify its findings,” he added.

According to the Senate committee report, Duterte, at the very least, “betrayed [the] public trust.”

The panel pointed to the President’s “threats, his non-action on this gargantuan scam and in a time of grave danger, his cover-up efforts, his tyrannical use of presidential powers to prevent officials and employees from participating in the hearings.”

Duterte has repeatedly slammed the Senate blue ribbon committee, notably its chairman Senator Richard Gordon, amid the panel’s investigation.

He criticized senators for supposedly lacking respect for the administration by repeatedly letting officials sit waiting for hours during hearings, which he said was unnecessary, and even issued a memorandum formally prohibiting his Cabinet officials from attending the Senate probe. 

The President said senators, or even other individuals outside the Senate, should instead file a case in court if they could find any possible crime committed by Pharmally.

EDV