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NOW: @senatePH Blue Ribbon Committee continues probe into how DOH spent billions of #COVID19 funds. | via @_katrinadomingo

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@senatePH @_katrinadomingo Former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang attends the Blue Ribbon hearing after the Senate issued an arrest warrant against him earlier this week. | via @_katrinadomingo

@senatePH @_katrinadomingo Michael Yang, with the help of an interpreter, tells senators he is currently in Davao City. | via @_katrinadomingo

@senatePH @_katrinadomingo Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair @DickGordonDG: "So far what we have discovered is a very serious affront to the welfare of Filipinos... Lumalabas na itong grupong ito prefer foreign interest over local interest." | via @_katrinadomingo

@senatePH @_katrinadomingo @DickGordonDG Gordon: "Kailangan hukayin pa po natin ito para ituwid ang mga mali sa ating bayan... The welfare of the people is the supreme law."

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Office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms conducts a surprise inspection at PS-DBM/DOH warehouse in Manila earlier today. Video shows boxes of face shields stored in these facilities.

Senate President @sotto_tito says DOH failed to submit inventory today.

@sotto_tito Sen. @senatorjoelv quizzes Pharmally chairman Wang Tzu Yen about the company's financial statements. | via @_katrinadomingo

@sotto_tito @senatorjoelv @_katrinadomingo Villanueva says Pharmally's annual income tax return shows "zero contributions to gov't mandated contributions (SSS, PhilHealth, PAG-IBIG)."

Wang: "Allow me time to collect records... Let me provide & collect these records to counter that statement." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @Cynthia_Villar notes that Pharmally may just be a distributor of a bigger company in China: "They just get a commission from what they are doing... The one providing the capital is the bigger company in china. That should be considered also." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo PH Gov't Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) says they "don't check the document [of a company] if they are financially capable or if they are technically capable."

PhilGEPS Dir. Clemente: It is the BAC's responsibility. The PhilGEPS is just a registry of suppliers

@_katrinadomingo CPA Raymond Abrea outlines questionable documents and disclosures of Pharmally during Senate Blue Ribbon hearing. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Abrea: "Wala pong deklarasyon kung nasan ang warehouse at hindi po ito rehistrado sa BIR." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Abrea: Yung increase ay hindi po normal... Hindi ko po sinasabi na ito ay illegal. Ang sinasabi lang po natin ay hindi normal na nagkakaroon ng ganitong increase. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo LOOK: Pharmally's "questionable" disclosures presented to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

Abrea: "Ito po ay basic due diligence." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Villanueva asks COA: Epektibo pa ang PS-DBM? Baka dapat iabolish na natin ito?

COA chief Michael Aguinaldo: "I would join the several bills filed seeking the abolition of PITC and PS-DBM." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @DickGordonDG asks the Anti-Money Laundering Council to review transactions of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @risahontiveros moves to subpoena from Bureau of Immigration the entry and exit info of Wang father and son.

Hontiveros says while Wang patriarch met with President Duterte in 2017, businessman's "last official record of his entry is 2005." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @senbongrevilla asks DOH Sec. @SecDuque about gov't policy and SRP of facemasks, face shields | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo @senbongrevilla @SecDuque Senators @BigManDrilon, @kikopangilinan, @iampinglacson move to arrest Linconn Ong & Michael Yang for allegedly giving evasive, flip-flopping answers re: how Pharmally financed its procurements from China.

Pangilinan: "Just like the virus, his answers are mutating."

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @DickGordonDG challenges Michael Yang’s need for an interpreter, shows video showing Yang speaking in Filipino with President Duterte.

Gordon: “Do not make it appear that you need a translator. You are the presidential economic adviser.”

@_katrinadomingo Michael Yang’s interpreter: “His Tagalog has limitations.” | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Michael Yang says he knows Lin Wei Xiong, but notes he does not know if he is the same Lin Wei Xiong/Allan Lim tagged in illegal drug activities.

Gordon shows a picture of Yang and Lin Wei Xiong together. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @risahontiveros asks Michael Yang: "Hindi ninyo ba siya (Duterte) binigyan ng advice na yung mga taong connected sa Pharmally ay fugitive na, wanted na sa Taiwan?"

Yang's interpreter: "After 2017... They have no more communication."

@_katrinadomingo Sen. Hontiveros: "Mahirap paniwalaan na wala nang communication si Mr. Yang at si President Duterte... Just very recently, the past days, dinepensahan ni Presidente si Mr. Yang." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo JUST IN: Pharmally chairman Huang Tzu Yen says Pharmally borrowed money from Michael Yang to finance procurement of #COVID19 supplies for PS-DBM, admits to senators that they won the bid but did not have enough money to buy the items. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Pharmally's Huang: "Since we were not able to finance these things, he (Michael Yang) offered to lend us the money so we will be able to pay for it. We will pay him back once we receive the money from the government." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Pharmally's Huang: "Mr. Linconn Ong was hesitant to say that [Pharmally borrowed money from Mr. Yang] because of courtesy. Perhaps this is what caused him to be evasive... Someone helped you at a difficult time and you might say things that might implicate them."

@_katrinadomingo Pharmally's Huang: "We hope the Committee can take that into consideration and not cite him (Linconn Ong) in contempt." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @DickGordonDG : "This is all contrary to what Michael Yang said that he did not have any dealings with Pharmally... Now the cat is out of the bag... Mr. Yang actually lied to the Committee. We all heard the same thing." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @BigManDrilon tells Pharmally's Huang: "I do not fault you for your ambitions... But from the Philippine side, there were certain basic requirements that must be complied with." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Pharmally's Huang: "We realized that we have caused a big ruckus. We don't want people to think that we are a dummy company for Mr. Yang." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Michael Yang's interpreter: "There are 2 different Pharmallys registered. The one in 2017 was Pharmally Biological. They are 2 different companies." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @kikopangilinan tells Yang: "The argument doesn't hold. He said he only introduced the suppliers and had nothing else. Now we find out belatedly that he was also one of the funders and creditors as admitted by Mr. Huang." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo @kikopangilinan Sen. @kikopangilinan notes PS-DBM awarded face mask deals to Pharmally even if company did not have license to import: "Their license to import at that time was for the importation of drugs, not of medical devices." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @kikopangilinan : "Pharmally's] License to import medical devices came in January 2021. They did not have that license when they brought in these PPEs." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Senate Blue Ribbon Committee agrees to suspend hearing today, and resume next week.

Sen. @kikopangilinan notes Pharmally's Linconn Ong is currently battling #COVID19 : "Let's allow him to rest over the weekend." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo @kikopangilinan Gordon says Pharmally's Linconn Ong is still under arrest after evading senators' questions: "He is under arrest. That is the parliamentary situation right now. Send OSAA there so he will not be allowed to go out. We can provide an ambulance for him in case he gets sick."

@_katrinadomingo @kikopangilinan Pharmally's Linconn Ong thanks Senate panel for allowing him to rest over the weekend

Gordon: "We are humanitarian people in the Senate... We are not monsters here. We are just trying to find out the truth." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. @iampinglacson : Instead of suspending the hearing, why don't we just excuse Mr. Linconn Ong and continue tonight's hearing?

@_katrinadomingo Senate President @sotto_tito backs Lacson's proposal to continue Blue Ribbon hearing: "We could perhaps spend another hour... then resume on Monday and Tuesday for the rest."

@_katrinadomingo @sotto_tito Senate Minority Leader @BigManDrilon : "I will be candid... Pagod na po ako. May I propose that we suspend until Monday? I don't think it will do our hearings any harm and resume on Monday morning."

Gordon rules to suspend the hearing until Sept 13. | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Sen. Gordon: "We thank Mr. Huang for coming out and making a statement... As we say, the truth will set us free... He is a young man. He has a great future ahead and he should start clean along with Mr. Linconn Ong." | via @_katrinadomingo

@_katrinadomingo Gordon says Senate Blue Ribbon hearing to resume on Monday, 10AM. | via @_katrinadomingo