Pharmally exec Linconn Ong goes out for some sun

A day after he backed out of the executive session with senators, detained Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation director Linconn Ong was allowed to take a walk on Tuesday morning.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Rene Samonte said Ong was allowed to “take a walk and get sunshine” before 8 a.m.

Ong was taken into custody by the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) on Sept. 21 and has since been detained at the Senate building in Pasay City.

During the previous Senate hearings looking into the government's procurement of allegedly overpriced COVID-19 supplies from Pharmally, Ong and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang were cited in contempt due to their "evasive" responses to the senators' questions.

The Senate blue ribbon committee had moved for their arrest. Ong however was first placed under house arrest since he tested positive for COVID-19.

Senators on Friday moved for Ong to be transferred to the Pasay City Jail or the New Bilibid Prison. 

This was after he refused to disclose how much money Yang lent to Pharmally.

Ong then turned emotional and insisted that he is cooperating in the investigation.

After he was asked if he wanted to go into an executive session, Ong was allowed to consult his legal counsel and later agreed to an executive session.

Due to this, the plan to transfer Ong to the Pasay City Jail did not push through.

On Monday, Ong backed out of the closed-door meeting with senators upon the advice of his counsel, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the blue ribbon committee, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the panel's probe remains strong despite the absence of some resource persons.

Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday criticized the senators for having Ong detained, saying what the Senate did was worse than martial law. —Joahna Lei Casilao/KG, GMA News