Thread by @cnnphilippines

THREAD: The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee resumes its probe on the alleged anomalous government purchase of COVID-19 medical supplies.

Controversial Pharmally Biological official Rose Nono Lin is not present in the hearing as she tested positive for COVID-19, according to the letter and medical certificate sent by her lawyer to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Sen. Dick Gordon orders committee director general Atty. Rodolfo Quimbo to scrutinize Lin's doctors on the veracity of her actual health condition.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee adopts its previous motion to cite in contempt and arrest ex-Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao for snubbing the hearings on the alleged anomalies in government pandemic contracts.

The Senate first adopted the motion in November last year, but they failed to arrest Lao.

The Blue Ribbon Committee rejected Lao's motion for reconsideration on the arrest order against him. cnn.ph/news/2021/11/1…

Also included in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's citation for contempt and arrest order are persons connected to the anomalous Pharmally-DOH deal including Gerald Cruz, Jayson Uson, Sophia Custodio, Dennis Manalastas, and Rose Nono Lin.

Tax expert Mon Abrea says Greentrends Trading Intl Inc., one of the alleged supplier of over 900,000 face masks, is not a registered business entity and faces 94 'open cases' for failing to declare their income tax returns.

Based on their records, Abrea adds Pharmally suppliers Acme Pinnacle and Evermore only got registered as a company two weeks after the embattled firm.

Acme Pinnacle and Evermore allegedly benefited from the almost ₱3.3 billion unsupported purchases of Pharmally.

Sen. Gordon: Malinaw ang perjury, ano po? Lumalabas na ang daming tax deficiencies na hindi binayaran at mayroong maaaring fake na kumpanya dahil sabay halos nagpasa ng corporate documents, pero hindi maipaliwanag saan napunta ang pera.

Abrea maintains the ₱3.4 unsupported purchases of Pharmally do not have "legitimate" suppliers: Ang Evermore at Acme ay bagong kumpanya, same month, pero walang record sa BIR o nabayaran. Ganoon din ang Greentrends.

Abrea also points out Pharmally has an estimated total tax deficiency of ₱6.3 billion.

Sen. Gordon and Abrea both agree the audit findings constitute a prima facie case of tax evasion.

Sen. Gordon asks former Duterte admin presidential economic adviser Michael Yang on his connections with companies connected to Pharmally.

Yang refuses to answer as he said these firms are being investigated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Yang: During the pandemic, I did not earn any money from the government.