THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has given a 10-day respite to Quezon City congressional candidate Rose Nono Lin, who has been linked to the controversial government supplier Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, to surrender to the Senate.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who is the chairman of the committee, gave the extension after lawyers of Lin asked the Pasay City Regional Trial Court to issue a temporary restraining order and prohibit the Senate from carrying out the arrest order against their client.
Lin’s camp said she was allegedly currently confined in a hospital for “surgical procedure.”
Lin, who is running for representative in Quezon City’s 5th District, is the wife of Lin Weixiong, identified as the financial manager of Pharmally who never showed up in any of the hearings conducted by the Senate panel.
“If Rose Nono Lin is indeed ill and needs to have a surgery in a hospital, we are not heartless people to not allow such required procedure to be performed,” Gordon said.
However, he said the investigation into the Pharmally mess will proceed as needed until the Senate finds out how the company duped the government of billions of pesos in public funds and the personalities behind the anomalous transactions.
“It must also be emphasized that Rose Nono Lin is not exempt from appearing in the continuing investigation nor will her supposed illness exempt her from justice,” Gordon said.
The Senate panel has likewise issued an arrest warrant against Lin’s husband Lin Wei Xiong, who is reportedly still in the United Arab Emirates.
“Rose Nono Lin’s husband remains outside of the country despite her being supposedly ill with COVID-19 and other maladies. This goes to show that he would rather be absent and far from his wife even during these times. It tells us that his evasion of Senate summons is more important than providing succor to his spouse,” Gordon said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee started an investigation in August last year into Pharmally’s transactions with the government after the Commission on Audit flagged the P42-billion transfer of funds made by the Department of Health for the procurement of pandemic supplies to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management.
The probe zeroed-in on Pharmally after it appeared that PS-DBM favored the pharmaceutical company even if it only had a paid-up capital of P625,000. It was later discovered that Pharmally was awarded more than P10 billion worth of supplies contract and that it sold overpriced pandemic supplies to the government.
The panel held its 18th hearing into the issue last January 27.
Gordon released his partial committee report before Congress adjourned last February 4.
Only eight out of the 20 committee members have so far signed the report.
The partial committee report recommended that charges be filed against President Duterte once he steps down in June for betrayal of public trust. Also, administrative and criminal charges were recommended against Health Secretary Franciso Duque III, Pharmally officials, and other personalities involved in the controversy.
