MANILA - Pharmally Pharmaceuticals had another supposedly advance delivery of 2 million surgical face masks even before receiving a request for quotation (RFQ), Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Friday, as she grilled officials of the supply company that has been at the center of the Senate's pandemic probe.
Hontiveros, during the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee panel’s inquiry, said Pharmally admitted in the past hearing that they delivered 500,000 pieces of surgical face mask the same day they received an RFQ.
She then asked Pharmally’s Krizle Grace Mago if there was ever a time when they delivered even before receiving RFQ.
“Based on our record po this is our only instance that we delivered before issuance of purchase order,” said Mago.
However, Hontiveros presented to the panel a screenshot of a text exchange allegedly between Mago and their source, a former employee of Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management, which showed the delivery of 2 million pieces of face masks.
“Dito sa message exchange na ito tinanong niyo yung katext nyo kung aware siya na nagdeliver kayo, ang Pharmally, ng 2 million pieces ng surgical mask. Lumalabas po na hindi siya aware,” Hontiveros said.
Mago’s textmate also asked if it was an advance delivery and she replied yes.
“Lumalabas po dito Pharmally delivered 2M surgical masks with neither request for quotation nor notice of award. Sa ganitong transaction paano kayo nakasiguro na mababayaran kayo?” Hontiveros asked.
Mago also asked for more time to confirm with her own records regarding the text exchange. She also stressed that she relied on the instructions of management, Mohit Dargani and Lincoln Ong, regarding pricing.
“Klaro dito sa text exchanges na nagdeliver kayo ng hindi alam ng katext nyo PS-DBM na magdedeliver kayo. In fact, kinonfirm nyo dito na advance delivery ito. Whatever that means,” said Hontiveros.
But Dargani denied coordinating with Mago on the 2 million pieces order and pointed to Ong as the one the probable source of instruction for the advance delivery.
For his part, Ong said he could not recall the said delivery of 2 million face masks.
“Based on our records and POD namin ay April 15 tapos ang DR date namin April 16 so I really can’t recall na may ganitong advance delivery. Hindi ko maalalang may ganitong utos. I’m checking my records,” Ong said.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Pharmally is insisting on the delivery receipts and dates and it was established that PS-DBM would sign the inspection report prior to delivery.
“This leads us to seriously doubt the authenticity of the dates on a number of these documents which were probably fabricated and to show precisely there were delivery when it fact there were not,” said Pangilinan.
Hontiveros said there is a process before a company could be given a notice of award. However, she said that in the case of Pharmally, the delivery came first before the notice of award.
“Hindi lang nauuna ang delivery sa notice of award parang nagkaka timewarp. Mapapansin natin itong NOA na ito undated, walang petsa sa buong notice ng award na iyan, nakalagay pa doon delivery should be a day after notice of award. Paano masasabi yun ni walang petsa 'yung dokumentong ito,” she said.
Hontiveros added that their source told them that the one who provided to the PS-DBM Pharmally’s name and the one who registered the company at the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEP) is an assistant secretary for admin identified as Atty. Christine Suntay.
“Sino ba ang kausap ng mga ito na sure na sure sila na makukuha nila ang awards. Sino ba itong sobrang malakas, dahil malakas sobrang pinagpapala?” asked Hontiveros.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are investigating government's P8.6-billion deal with Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. for the supply of supposedly overpriced anti-virus masks and face shields last year.
Pharmally Pharmaceutical, Risa Hontiveros, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Senate probe on Pharmally, Krizle Grace Mago