Pharmally exec detained in Senate ‘smuggled’ phone inside, apologizes

MANILA, Philippines — An official of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. “smuggled” a mobile phone inside his detention room in the Senate but later apologized for his actions, saying he did it “out of survival instinct.”

“For the record, Mr. Linconn Ong smuggled a phone in his room,” Senator Richard Gordon said during Friday’s resumption of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation on the government’s procurement of pandemic and medical items in 2020.

“We get reports and you know they’re allowed to use the phone of the OSAA (Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms) but then again, just to show how evasive and how imaginative and how innovative these guys can be,” he added.

Ong was quick to apologize, saying he did not “mean to challenge the authority of the Senate.”

“I’d like to apologize to the Senate, to the OSAA, I didn’t mean to challenge the authority of the Senate. It was really out of survival instinct cause I really miss my family and I want to communicate with them,” he said.

Ong has been detained in the Senate since September after the panel cited him in contempt for being evasive to the questions of senators.

READ: Pharmally’s Linconn Ong brings fight vs Senate’s contempt order to SC

He said that while he is allowed to make use of the OSAA phone, he can only avail of this to communicate with his family for emergency purposes.

“Communication with my lawyers, wala namang problema sa OSAA. But their instruction is pagdating sa pamilya, it must be emergency,” Ong said.

“Hindi ko na matawagan ang wife ko some time,” he added.

Gordon then expanded Ong’s communication privileges so he can talk with his family during “reasonable hours.”

“Let me make the order in front of the whole world that when it comes to communicating with your family within reasonable hours…you may communicate with your family,” the senator said, to which Ong expressed gratitude.

“Kaya (So) you don’t have to smuggle phones,” Gordon added.

KGA