Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: The Senate Blue Ribbon opens its 15th hearing on the management of COVID-19 pandemic response funds.

Updates by our digital producer @pplmanuel

@pplmanuel Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon recaps the Senate security's arrest of Pharmally executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani in Davao City prior their flight to Kuala Lumpur. bit.ly/2Zq0Ui1

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon on Darganis' arrest: Pinagmalalaki ba nila di sila dadakpin sa Davao? Na di kaya ng gobyerno dumakip ng mga taong may katiwaliang ginawa sa Davao? Napatunayan ang Senado, batas lang ang sinasanto.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon presents of companies interrelated to each other, noting the roles played in these firms by personalities such as Michael Yang, Rose Nono Lin, and a Jayson Uson who he says remains in hiding.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association national president Melbert Reyes: While their sacrifices are overflowing, nurses' rights and welfare must be respected at all times.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association calls for the respect of nurses' legal rights such as having a decent wage, fair and just working conditions, and join work unions.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association: A year has already passed and an effective pandemic response is still nowhere in sight.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association: If the goal is to get back to normalcy, our government should give healthcare workers their much-deserved respite from suffering.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association says many healthcare workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to receive their related allowances and pays.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association appeals to the Department of Health to further look into the implementation of the distribution of special risk and meal allowances.

@pplmanuel Philippine Nurses Association national president Melbert Reyes claims a nurse working in a COVID-19 ward in a hospital in Taytay, Rizal received only ₱900 in allowance, with a period covering from January to June this year.

@pplmanuel UST Hospital's Richie Ignacio says 200 of their healthcare workers have yet to receive their special risk allowance. He adds some infected workers were downgraded from severe to moderate cases.

@pplmanuel Ignacio: Hanggang ngayon, naghihintay pa kasi sa mga meals, accommodation, and transportation allowances na hindi pa naibibigay.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464144159577554944

@pplmanuel Ignacio: Mismong mga medical technologists namin sa UST Hospital ay hindi pa nabigyan ng SRA hanggang sa ngayon. Sila yung nagpa-process ng mga specimen coming from the lungs of COVID positive patients. (1/2)

@pplmanuel Ignacio: Yet, they are not classified as high-risk patients and kasama sa mga SRA beneficiaries. (2/2)

@pplmanuel Sen. Risa Hontiveros agrees with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan's suggestion: Kailangan natin siguruhin sa DOH bago aprubahan ang 2022 budget na ir-release at nirrelease talaga ang benefits sa healthcare workers.

@pplmanuel Pharmally corporate secretary Mohit Dargani, who is currently detained in the Senate, is taking questions from the panel.

@pplmanuel Sen. Ping Lacson quizzes Dargani over the supposed affiliation of their lawyer Daryl Ritchie Valles to the House of Representatives.

Sen. Lacson quotes acting presidential spox Karlo Nograles, saying Valles currently works in the HOR.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon says Valles' HOR employment or end thereof must be checked.

@pplmanuel Sen. Lacson: Even if he [Valles] has limited authority granted by the House Speaker, meron pa ring limitation. Kung government kalaban sa kaso, he's not allowed to practice his profession.

@pplmanuel Pharmally corporate secretary Mohit Dargani did not confirm nor deny if they paid over ₱1.85 million in their chartered flight last Nov. 14, since he claims it was paid by their friend.

@pplmanuel Dargani: We did not do this to escape or to hide from the investigations. I was just asserting my rights. We have provided the documents asked to me and Twinkle.

@pplmanuel Sen. Hontiveros asks Dargani to identify his "friend overseas" whom he sent their flight information to, but he refused to identify him nor the country he's based in.

@pplmanuel Dargani: We humbly refused to receive that subpoena, with those documents, because it may bring prejudice to the petition we filed before the Court of Appeals.

@pplmanuel Addressing Sen. Hontiveros, Dargani cites his sister Twinkle's mental health concerns: I believe you're an advocate of mental health. It pains me to see my sister [Twinkle] in a condition where she doesn't even know her name anymore.

@pplmanuel Sen. Hontiveros: Noong una kayong na-intercept ng Senate OSAA, sinubukan mo pang tumakbo. Again, what seems to be very plain to our sight na pagtakas.

@pplmanuel Dargani says they are not a native of Davao City: I don't know anyone in Davao. Based on my research, it is easy to move around in Davao because there are many Indian groceries and restaurants. It felt secured for my mom and sister to move around there.

@pplmanuel An emotional Dargani says: The plan of flying wasn't there when we went to Davao. It was just two weeks since we got there where my mom said, please let's get out of here.

@pplmanuel Dargani invoked his right against self-incrimination in revealing the identity of his "friend overseas" who funded their supposed chartered flight to Malaysia.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon calls out Dargani for running away from the plane when they were being intercepted by Senate security.

Dargani denies this: When I ran, I ran back to the plane to hug my mother.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon warns Dargani he could be held criminal liable under Revised Penal Code Article 150 for refusing to cooperate in the Senate probe.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon: I just have no empathy for Mr. Mohit Dargani. Una sasabihin nila walang kaalam-alam kapatid niya, presidente ng corporation. Assuming I can believe you, you put her there. You were using her name to do foolish things.

@pplmanuel Revised Penal Code Article 150 provides disobeying summons issued by Congress or Constitutional Commissions can be penalized for six-month imprisonment or fine ranging from ₱200 to ₱1,000.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464154688379514881

@pplmanuel Sen. Hontiveros once again asks Dargani who is his male friend from abroad who chartered their flight for them out of Davao.

Sen. Hontiveros: Otherwise, before this hearing is suspended, I'll be forced to cite Mr. Dargani for obstruction of justice for not naming him.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon says Pharmally official Linconn Ong "smuggled" a phone while in detention under the Senate OSAA.

@pplmanuel Ong then apologized for his act: I didn't mean to challenge the authority of the Senate. It was really out of survival instinct because I really miss my family and I want to communicate with them.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464158254418710534

@pplmanuel Dargani requests the Senate blue ribbon committee for him to only submit the name of his "friend" who paid their supposed chartered flight to Malaysia last Nov. 14, for confidentiality reasons.

@pplmanuel Senate blue ribbon committee chair Sen. Gordon answers back Dargani by citing a statement from the Nat'l Privacy Commission, which says that data privacy rights should not be used as an excuse to evade legal proceedings.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464160630256988162

@pplmanuel Dargani now claims he borrowed money from his overseas friend in question to pay for their chartered flight from Davao to Kuala Lumpur.

@pplmanuel Senate blue ribbon committee director general Atty. Rodolfo Quimbo reveals the name of Gary Wong, which was written by Dargani after senators pressed him to name the friend who funded their chartered flight.

@pplmanuel Dargani says Gary Wong is a Singapore-based entrepreneur.

@pplmanuel Dargani says Wong is aware he and sister Twinkle were intercepted by Senate OSAA personnel in Davao City airport last Nov. 14.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464162367307014146

@pplmanuel Dargani adds he's not aware of the exact amount that Wong would shoulder for their chartered flight, since the price will be revealed to them in the final billing.

@pplmanuel Dargani denies Wong was involved with Pharmally's alleged anomalous transactions with the government.

@pplmanuel Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to Dargani: Do you think the senators you face are stupid? You're saying you met him [Gary Wong] once, you had no business with him, he lent you $37,000?

@pplmanuel Sen. Drilon to Dargani: Either you're lying through your teeth, and that's what brings you trouble with this committee.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464164265196425216

@pplmanuel Sen. Drilon to Dargani: Are you willing to produce the documents to support your cost of sales in your audited financial statements.

@pplmanuel Dargani: We have complied from the very start, we have provided it. The documents that we're asked for me in the last hearing that I attended were not properly addressed to me.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464165114701959172

@pplmanuel Sen. Pangilinan slams Dargani for supposedly lying after the embattled Pharmally official said the required documents are in a "box," while changing his tune in a later remark that he did not know the location of the papers.

@pplmanuel Dargani denies he is aware of Pharmally paid ₱2.99 billion to Evermore Marketing and Supply Company.

@pplmanuel Sen. Drilon quizzes Dargani for paying ₱2.99 billion to Evermore Marketing and Supply Company, which can constitute tax evasion due to the firm's "fictitious" address based on the committee's probe.

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon vents ire on Dargani for his different statements: We started this months ago. Pina-punching bag nyo kami na kami ang nagpapatagal. No, kayo ang nagpapatagal. Kung nilabas nyo yan, matagal nang tapos ito.

@pplmanuel Tax expert Mon Abrea presents the penalties prescribed under the Tax Code for those who committed tax evasion in the country.

@pplmanuel Abrea outlines the discrepancies in the total income tax payments of persons involved in the Pharmally mess.

@pplmanuel Abrea: Wala tayong batas na nagbabawal sa malalaking advances. Walang disclosure kung sino ang nag-advance at kung sino ang shareholders ng iba't-ibang kumpanya.

@pplmanuel Abrea: Hindi rin malinaw ang addt'l capital dahil walang dokumento ang shareholders kung sila ay negosyante o nagmana ng pera na maari nilang mainvest.

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464173879845212164

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon: Tingin mo, magkano ang bleed na nawala sa revenue na dapat iexpect ng gobyerno?

Abrea: Lalampas po sa ₱10 bilyon o higit pa dahil lumalabas na maraming undisclosed financing at transactions. (1/2)

@pplmanuel Abrea: Dapat maipaliwanag ng accountant ng Pharmally bakit hindi nagtugma yung purchases sa cost of sales na naideklara sa audited financial statements at bakit wala si Tigerphil sa list of suppliers. (2/2)

@pplmanuel Sen. Gordon asks Pharmally official Krizle Grace Mago on her retraction of her remarks on tampering medical-grace face shields.

Mago: I said my piece at the House and I stand by my statement. bit.ly/3CTKXOI

@pplmanuel EARLIER: Michael Yang’s counsel, Atty. Raymond Fortun, wrote a letter to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to excuse Yang from today’s hearing due to non-exudative pharyngitis. | @pnbarcelonlive

📸: O/S Gordon

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Sen. Gordon plays a video of Mago's prior admission to the Senate on Pharmally's tampering of face shields' expiry dates.

Sen. Drilon to Mago: You saw the video. I don't think you can point to any portion there where senators tried to bamboozle you into answering

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Sen. Gordon to Mago: Concerned ako sayo eh. To be very frank, I'm looking at you as a lost soul, a lost generation. And I mean it.

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Mago maintains her prior admission before the Senate was a "pressured response."

Sen. Drilon: You've seen the video. Any impartial person would look at that video and never believe what you're saying

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Mago says it is her decision to go to the House of Representatives after she hid for a few days due to her prior testimony in a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Sen. Lacson to Mago: When you mentioned a particular name, ibig sabihin mo di ka ganon sigurado when you mentioned Mohit Dargani or you were under pressure? (1/2)

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Mago: There was pressure to specify a name. 2 beses po ako tinanong, 2 beses din ako sumagot it was the Pharmally management. (2/2)

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Mago further says: On my whole duration of work sa Pharmally, usually instructions come from Sir Mohit. Yun nag-prompt sa'kin to mention his name, but that was inaccurate. I didn't intend to lie, there was pressure involved

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1464193135106752515

@pplmanuel @pnbarcelonlive Sen. Hontiveros: Ms. Mago confirmed for the second time na nagpapalit ng certificate ang Pharmally. Nagtatalo lang sino sa management ang nag-instruct, but she confirmed it the second time.

Twinkle Dargani: I was not part of the operations nor the financial nor the transactions. I was told to sign some documents, that's all my participation in the company. I was a temporary substitute to the president since he cannot come into our country.

Sen. Gordon rejects Twinkle Dargani's claim that she's suffering from mental health problems.

Gordon threatens to send Dargani to the National Center for Mental Health.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon orders to issue a subpoena to Lin Weixiong, husband of Michael Yang's associate Rose Nono Lin.

Sen. Gordon on Dargani's remark that he did not know the location of documents requested by committee: I do not believe he does not know it. He pretends to be stupid.

Sen. Gordon: We are resolute. You can buy all the lawyers, but you're not gonna buy yourself out in our attempt to secure the truth.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ends today's hearing and will resume next Friday, December 3.