Gordon to Duterte: Don't protect Pharmally, individuals linked to 'overpriced' PPEs

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon on Friday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop defending Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation and the individuals linked to the allegedly overpriced procurement of pandemic-related medical goods.

“Mr. President, hindi niyo po dapat proteksyunan ‘yang Pharmally [Mr. President, you should not protect Pharmally]. You are a Philippine president, you are elected by the country and you must protect the Filipino people,” Gordon said in his opening statement on the fifth hearing on the Department of Health’s use of its COVID-19 funds in 2020.

“Ang pinoproteksyunan niyo ay yung Pharmally at ‘yung mga kasama ninyo, at wala kong sinasabing [dapat] Pilipino sila pero dapat siyempre mayroong malaking advantage na nakakapagsalita sila ng sarili nilang wika dito. ‘Di natin makausap ng dire-diretso pero lumalabas nagkakaroon sila ng passes na gumawa ng katiwalian,” he added.

(You are protecting people from Pharmally and some of your colleagues. I am not saying that they should be Filipino citizens but it is a big advantage if they can speak our native language. We cannot talk to them directly but apparently, they were given passes to commit wrongdoings.)

Gordon did not name anyone but Chinese businessman and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, who is being linked to Pharmally, brought an interpreter with him in his first appearance in the Senate hearing on Friday.

Gordon has been on the receiving end of Duterte's recent tirades for his committee's investigation on the government's procurement of medical supplies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senators are seeking information on Yang’s possible links to Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a small firm that only had a paid-up capital of around P625,000 but secured over P8 billion worth of government contracts for the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPEs).

Last Wednesday, Duterte defended his government's procurement of PPEs last year, insisting there was no corruption in the process.

Gordon said he was “annoyed” with Duterte’s recent statement apologizing for the killing of four Chinese individuals during a recent drug operations in Zambales.

“Nakakirinding pakinggan pagka minsan namamatay sa drugs shooting yung mga Pilipino, na karamihan ay mahihirap, halos lahat ay hindi ko naririnig na naga-apologize ang ating mga Pilipino. Ngunit sa mga Chinese authorities mukhang nag-apologize nitong kamakailan na napatay yung apat na Chinese,” he said.

(It is annoying to hear that when Filipinos are killed in drug operations, you cannot hear them apologize. But they are apologizing to Chinese authorities when the four Chinese were killed recently.)

“Di po ako xenophobic. Ako po ay Pilipino, kayo ay Pilipino at yun ho ang hinaing na naririnig ko,” he added.

(I am not xenophobic. I am a Filipino, you are Filipino, and those are my concerns.)  —KBK, GMA News