Linconn Ong attends Senate probe continuation, but body told he'll stop participating

Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Director Linconn Ong waits at the Senate committee room during the hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 30, 2021, on the alleged anomalies in the purchase of face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB' src='http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/05/20210930-ong-linconn-senate-prib-0.png?ext=.png' ><figcaption>Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Director Linconn Ong waits at the Senate committee room during the hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 30, 2021, on the alleged anomalies in the purchase of face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Linconn Ong showed up at the continuation Tuesday of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearings on the government's deals with his firm, but the panel was told he will no longer participate in the proceedings, invoking the Corporation Code.When asked about documents the Senate is seeking from Ong after the latter's presence was acknowledged, the panel's secretary-general Rodolfo Quimbo said the Pharmally official is no longer participating in the probe. Ong is currently detained at the Senate building in Pasay City after senators find him being evasive in answering questions.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/21/21/senate-arrests-pharmally-exec-over-evasive-answers'>Senate arrests Pharmally exec over allegedly evasive answers in inquiry</a></li></ul>"Mr. Ong, in so far as the missing documents is concerned, stated that he is not participating anymore in this proceeding, nor is he submitting anything, reiterating their supposed rights under the Corporation Code on confidentiality which your honor had previously ruled as not applicable to the Senate investigation," Quimbo told lawmakers, quoting Ong's lawyer.Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the committee, said any members of the company who attempt to withhold public documents in a Senate investigation could be held liable. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon added that there is nothing in the Corporation Code that justifies Ong's decision. "These are matters of public interest. These are matters submitted being asked of them in relation to this inquiry. And this is in performance of our constitutional duty. And there’s nothing in the revised Corporation Code - we wrote that law - we see nothing there that would justify the invocation of those provisions," said Drilon, a former Justice Secretary. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/24/21/opisyal-ng-pharmally-ililipat-sa-pasay-city-jail'>Opisyal ng Pharmally, ililipat sa Pasay City Jail</a></li></ul>Ferdinand Topacio, who first introduced himself last week as Ong's legal counsel, had said they were “reconsidering” his client’s earlier stand to continuously cooperate with the Senate which he calls a “kangaroo forum”.“We are reconsidering that... because this is not a fair forum. This is a kangaroo forum. The blue ribbon, not all ha? Some members of the blue ribbon committee are not out to get the truth. They’re out for blood. Kaya naman unfair sa kliyente ko kung siya ang gagawing pawn, gagawing sacrificial lamb para makakuha ng dugo,” Topacio had said.(That's why it's unfair for my client if he is being used as a pawn.)President Rodrigo Duterte had blasted the panel’s conduct of the hearings, calling them a “waste of time,” and also threatened to "find what’s wrong with" the lawmakers. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/01/21/duterte-willing-to-start-constitutional-crisis-gordon'>Duterte willing to start Constitutional crisis to defend corrupt people: Gordon</a></li></ul>Pharmally's head for Regulatory Affairs, Krizle Grace Mago, is also in attendance at the resumption of the Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing, even as she told House lawmakers on Monday that her earlier admission that her employer swindled the government, was made under pressure.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/mago-says-swindled-statement-was-made-under-pressure'>Pharmally's Mago says 'swindled' statement at Senate was made under pressure</a></li>	<li><a href=' https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/mago-may-have-been-pressured-to-retract-statement-hontiveros'>Pharmally's Mago may have been pressured to retract statements to Senate: Hontiveros</a></li></ul>Duterte's recent order to the military and police and threat of issuing a memorandum prohibiting Cabinet members from attending any Senate probe is calamitous, Gordon had said.Pharmally's transaction with the government was investigated after bagging billions of pesos worth of anti-pandemic supplies deal beginning last year despite having a paid-up capital of only P625,000.Duterte said the deals were above board.Gordon said the Senate's probe would continue despite the development.He had said that public funds wasted on anomalous transactions could have been used for the benefits of health workers who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic in the frontlines.-- with reports from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN NewsWATCH<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=1784003' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div>

<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/21/21/senate-arrests-pharmally-exec-over-evasive-answers'>Senate arrests Pharmally exec over allegedly evasive answers in inquiry</a></li></ul>"Mr. Ong, in so far as the missing documents is concerned, stated that he is not participating anymore in this proceeding, nor is he submitting anything, reiterating their supposed rights under the Corporation Code on confidentiality which your honor had previously ruled as not applicable to the Senate investigation," Quimbo told lawmakers, quoting Ong's lawyer.Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the committee, said any members of the company who attempt to withhold public documents in a Senate investigation could be held liable. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon added that there is nothing in the Corporation Code that justifies Ong's decision. "These are matters of public interest. These are matters submitted being asked of them in relation to this inquiry. And this is in performance of our constitutional duty. And there’s nothing in the revised Corporation Code - we wrote that law - we see nothing there that would justify the invocation of those provisions," said Drilon, a former Justice Secretary. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/24/21/opisyal-ng-pharmally-ililipat-sa-pasay-city-jail'>Opisyal ng Pharmally, ililipat sa Pasay City Jail</a></li></ul>Ferdinand Topacio, who first introduced himself last week as Ong's legal counsel, had said they were “reconsidering” his client’s earlier stand to continuously cooperate with the Senate which he calls a “kangaroo forum”.“We are reconsidering that... because this is not a fair forum. This is a kangaroo forum. The blue ribbon, not all ha? Some members of the blue ribbon committee are not out to get the truth. They’re out for blood. Kaya naman unfair sa kliyente ko kung siya ang gagawing pawn, gagawing sacrificial lamb para makakuha ng dugo,” Topacio had said.(That's why it's unfair for my client if he is being used as a pawn.)President Rodrigo Duterte had blasted the panel’s conduct of the hearings, calling them a “waste of time,” and also threatened to "find what’s wrong with" the lawmakers. <ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/01/21/duterte-willing-to-start-constitutional-crisis-gordon'>Duterte willing to start Constitutional crisis to defend corrupt people: Gordon</a></li></ul>Pharmally's head for Regulatory Affairs, Krizle Grace Mago, is also in attendance at the resumption of the Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing, even as she told House lawmakers on Monday that her earlier admission that her employer swindled the government, was made under pressure.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/mago-says-swindled-statement-was-made-under-pressure'>Pharmally's Mago says 'swindled' statement at Senate was made under pressure</a></li>	<li><a href=' https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/mago-may-have-been-pressured-to-retract-statement-hontiveros'>Pharmally's Mago may have been pressured to retract statements to Senate: Hontiveros</a></li></ul>Duterte's recent order to the military and police and threat of issuing a memorandum prohibiting Cabinet members from attending any Senate probe is calamitous, Gordon had said.Pharmally's transaction with the government was investigated after bagging billions of pesos worth of anti-pandemic supplies deal beginning last year despite having a paid-up capital of only P625,000.Duterte said the deals were above board.Gordon said the Senate's probe would continue despite the development.He had said that public funds wasted on anomalous transactions could have been used for the benefits of health workers who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic in the frontlines.-- with reports from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN NewsWATCH<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=1784003' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more in <a href='//www.iwantv.com.ph/'>iWantv</a> or <a href='//tfc.tv/'>TFC.tv</a></div>

When asked about documents the Senate is seeking from Ong after the latter's presence was acknowledged, the panel's secretary-general Rodolfo Quimbo said the Pharmally official is no longer participating in the probe. Ong is currently detained at the Senate building in Pasay City after senators find him being evasive in answering questions.

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Director Linconn Ong waits at the Senate committee room during the hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 30, 2021, on the alleged anomalies in the purchase of face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB' src='http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/10/05/20210930-ong-linconn-senate-prib-0.png?ext=.png' ><figcaption>Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. Director Linconn Ong waits at the Senate committee room during the hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 30, 2021, on the alleged anomalies in the purchase of face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Linconn Ong showed up at the continuation Tuesday of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearings on the government's deals with his firm, but the panel was told he will no longer participate in the proceedings, invoking the Corporation Code.

Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Linconn Ong showed up at the continuation Tuesday of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearings on the government's deals with his firm, but the panel was told he will no longer participate in the proceedings, invoking the Corporation Code.

Linconn Ong attends Senate probe continuation, but body told he'll stop participating | ABS-CBN News

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Linconn Ong attends Senate probe continuation, but body told he'll stop participating

Linconn Ong attends Senate probe continuation, but body told he'll stop participating