I don’t care about Pharmally – Duterte

President Duterte has made it clear that he “doesn't care” about what could happen to controversial firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

He stressed this despite the company's supposed connection with businessman Michael Yang, Duterte's former economic adviser.

“Wala akong pakialam diyan (I don't care about) Pharmally...You can crumple ang (that) Pharmally, wala kaming pakialam diyan. Basta ‘yang pag-avail namin – ang pakialam namin nag-order kami, dumating, tama ‘yung nag-order, tapos ang presyo negotiated (We don't care about it.

What we cared about is that we availed, we ordered, the goods came, the order was correct, and the price was negotiated),” Duterte said Tuesday morning, Sept. 14, during the belated airing of Monday night's “Talk to the People” public briefing.

The Chief Executive was referring to the government's procurement of billions worth of personal protective equipment (PPEs) via Pharmally last year amid the raging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon has been probing the alleged overpriced purchase of these PPEs and inviting Cabinet officials for questioning.

He said the executive branch has already fulfilled its role in expeditiously purchasing the needed PPEs in a way that was approved by the lawmakers themselves when they passed Republic Act (RA) No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1).

Inspection made before delivery

But a retired inspection official of the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) on Monday, Sept. 13, revealed during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that government procurement personnel have been ordered to sign inspection documents for the (PPEs from China even before the items were delivered or inspected.

“Some inspection reports were signed even if the delivered goods were not actually inspected,” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said, noting that the goods were still in China when the reports were signed.

Jorge Mendoza, whose contract as PS-DBM inspection chief was not renewed, revealed that he remembers two instances when documents were signed as guarantee to Chinese suppliers

“Wala pang delivery (there were no deliveries) but we were advised or instructed to prepare the inspection documents, considering nga po na it will be an attachment to assure the China suppliers na sila ay mababayaran (so they could be paid) at once the shipment or yung PPEs will arrive sa Pilipinas,” Mendoza told hybrid hearing by the Senate committee.