Thread by @maracepeda

The Senate blue ribbon committee holds its 15th hearing on the anomalous pandemic contracts forged by President Rodrigo Duterte's govt with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation. @rapplerdotcom

@rapplerdotcom Present in today's hearing are Pharmally executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani, and Linconn Ong, all of whom are currently detained at the Senate after being cited in contempt and ordered arrested by senators.

@rapplerdotcom The no-shows are ex-Duterte adviser Michael Yang, Pharmally's financier and guarantor, and ex-PS-DBM chief Lloyd Christopher Lao. Both have standing arrest warrants issued by the blue ribbon panel.

@rapplerdotcom Lao earlier asked the blue ribbon panel to reconsider his arrest warrant, but committee chairman Sen Richard Gordon turned it down.

Yang filed a Supreme Court case challenging the panel's arrest orders against him.

@rapplerdotcom Gordon thanks the people who helped them locate and arrest the Darganis before their getaway flight took off from the airport in Davao City, home turf of President Rodrigo Duterte.

@rapplerdotcom Sen Ping Lacson brings up Daryl Valles, one of the lawyers hired by the Darganis. Lacson says the panel must verify if Valles is still working in the office of a member of the House. If that is so, then Lacson says he is violating code of conduct for public officials.

@rapplerdotcom Senator Risa Hontiveros now asking the Dargani siblings regarding the P1.8-million flight the two was supposed to ride to fly out of the Philippines before they were arrested by Senate security. rappler.com/nation/dargani…

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani says a friend overseas paid for the flight, but it was he who searched for the companies where he and sister Twinkle can avail of the flight.

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros keeps on asking for the name of Mohit's friend who paid for their flight, but Mohit doesn't want to give it: I would like to keep him private at this point. I would like to keep his identity and origin… It’s his privacy.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit also denies he and sister Twinkle took that flight to escape the PH: I just want to say that we did not do this to escape or to hide from the investigations… I was just exerting my right and the documents that were asked from me and my sister have been provided.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani: The documetns that are being asked from me where not addressed to me up to when we were arrested in the Senate compound.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani: We arrived in Davao earlier November becaase we were traveling from one place to another. I was just doing this as a son and my sister, because she’s suffering from mental health.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani cries as he explains his mom and sister actually didn't want him to come to the PH from the US. He says he still went to PH to be with his family.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani: We were traveling by land, we were just in a car. From Manila we were going to the south, we went north, then we further went down, drove to Sorsogon, until we reached Leyte, Surigao, then Davao.

@rapplerdotcom Why go to Davao City? Mohit Dargani says he asked his mom where she feels he and Twinkle would be most safe, and their mom said Davao City. He says when they went to Davao, they initially had no plans to fly out of PH from there.

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros asks if mental health of his mom and sister was the concern, then why take the more difficult land route instead of just taking a flight from Manila.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani: The plan of flying out wasn’t there up to when we went to Davao. It was just after, 2 weeks since we were in Davao that my mom said, please let us get out of here.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani says his family stayed at unit at Camella Northpoint when they were in Davao City.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani: While we were on the drive, we were trying to look for a place for us three, to be ourselves.

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros presses Dargani to reveal the name of his friend to whom he sent the money so the friend can pay for their chartered flight.

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros: It would constitute obstruction of justice if you are not to tell the committee kung sino ang tumulong sa inyo to contract that flight, which kundi hindi lang dahil sa Senate OSAA, nakalipad sana kayo ng Pilipinas despite the warrant of arrest.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani still refuses to name his friend: Madam Senator, as much as I would want to answer your question, I don’t have my lawyers with me…I might say something that may incriminate myself. I would like to humbly request if I could invoke my right against self-incrimination

@rapplerdotcom Gordon reminds Dargani he could be held criminal liable under the Revised Penal Code Article 150 for not cooperating in the Senate probe.

@rapplerdotcom Gordon: Mr Dargani, when you were captured in the plane and you were brought down ... you were worried you say about your mother, and yet you tried to escape! You ran away! You were going to leave your mother and your poor sister.

@rapplerdotcom Gordon once again asks Mohit Dargani about the name of his friend who helped them. Mohit says this friend used to work for them before, but still doesn't give a name.

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros: Make off record that your male friend based abroad would also be liable for obstruction of justice… I note that at least of one of the lawyers of Mr. and Ms. Dargani is present here. Mr Dargani could seek that counsel that he says he is without in this meeting

@rapplerdotcom Hontiveros threatens to move to cite Mohit Dargani in obstruction of justice of he still does not name his friend.

@rapplerdotcom After Hontiveros points out the presence of one of the Darganis' lawyer in the virtual hearing, Mohit asks that he be allowed to consult with his lawyer Don Kapunan. Kapunan asks the panel to talk to his client via phone. The panel allows it.

@rapplerdotcom Senators are now grilling Pharmally's Krizle Mago for recanting the statement she made before the Senate that their firm had swindled the govt. Senators also found it unusual for Mago to seek protection at the House.

@rapplerdotcom Mago also cries as she explained why she later left the protective custody of the House. Kaya po ako voluntarily nag-exit from the custody of the HOR is because I was planning to go back sa province, to my family... I hope so, Mr Chairman, na makauwi ako

@rapplerdotcom Gordon says next blue ribbon hearing on the Pharmally scandal will be on December 3.

@rapplerdotcom Gordon warns he would move to have detained Pharmally execs Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong moved to Pasay City Jail, and Twinkle Dargani to Correctional Institution for Women for pointing at fingers as regards the location of the documents the blue ribbon panel is asking for.

@rapplerdotcom Sen Kiko Pangilinan makes motion to move Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong to the Pasay City Jail, while Twinkle Dargani to stay in the Senate custody due to her mental health issues.

Gordon resisting Pangilinan's motion re. Twinkle,says she's being used as a "shield" by her brother

@rapplerdotcom The blue ribbon committee adopts motion to move Pharmally's Mohit Dargani and Linconn Ong to the Pasay City Jail. Twinkle Dargani to stay under the Senate custody.

@rapplerdotcom Mohit Dargani appeals to the panel, once again ask that he be given an hour to meet with Ong so they can figure out where the docs are. Gordon allows it, says they should be able to give location of the documents. Otherwise, move to Pasay City Jail would be implemented.

@rapplerdotcom Gordon says Senate security will be escorting Mohit Dargani tomorrow to physically retrieve the documents. If not, the panel's motion to move Mohit and Ong to Pasay City Jail will be implemented.

@rapplerdotcom The blue ribbon committee suspends its Pharmally probe for tonight, to resume on December 3 at 2 pm.