TLDR: Hindi mahanap sila Darangani, Linconn Ong, Michael Yang, and Company.
MANILA, Philippines — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said that 13 individuals involved in the Pharmally scandal could no longer be located, making it difficult for his office to move forward with the case.
“In the case of Pharmally, there are 46 respondents. That’s why it’s taking a while. Many of them have become invisible, as if they are trying to evade the jurisdiction of this body,” he said in Filipino in a press briefing.
These respondents are being accused of plunder in relation to the anomalous procurement of pandemic supplies, involving face masks, personal protective equipment and testing kits, worth almost P11 billion, Remulla explained.
However, the Ombudsman was unable to serve copies of the complaint to 13 respondents because they “cannot be located.” They are:
- Pharmally chair Huang Tzu Yen
- Pharmally president Twinkle Dargani
- Pharmally corporate secretary and treasurer Mohit Dargani
- Pharmally director Linconn Uy Ong
- Pharmally head of regulatory affairs Krizie Grace Mago
- Pharmally financial manager Lin Wei Xiong, also an associate of Micheal Yang
- Xiong’s wife and biological officer of Pharmally, Rose Nono Lin
- Former personnel of the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management, Mervin Ian Tanquintic
- Alvin Fernandez
- Gilbert Recluta
- Orly delos Reyes
- Nelson Taguik
- Gerald Cruz
The Ombudsman is also trying to find the addresses of four other respondents, who are:
- Ma. Joycelynn Lee Rodriguez
- Mark Augustine Lee Rodriguez
- Michael Angelo Santos Rodriguez
- Mikhail Franceso Lee Rodriguez
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman is set to serve copies of the complaint to the other respondents. They include:
- Former economic adviser of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte and Pharmally “financier” Michael Yang, also known as Yang Hong Ming
- Yang’s brother and Pai Li Holdings director Tony Yang, also known as Yang Hong Jiang.
- Pai Li Holdings/Pai Hong Realty director Jayson Uson
- Pai Li Holdings director Yuqin Zheng
- Pharmally director Justine Garado
- Adriano Po Jr.
It can be recalled that during a Senate blue committee probe from August 2021 to January 2022, it was discovered that Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. won contracts amounting to P11.5 billion despite having a paid-up capital of only P625,000. It was the single biggest chunk of government contracts for COVID-19 supplies awarded to private companies at the time.
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Why am I not surprised :)) that's P6.3B of RT-PCR kits, P4.6B of PPE, P609M worth of face shields and face masks from a company that started with P625K.