Pharmally exec Dargani's petition vs detention assigned to another CA panel

Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation executive Mohit Dargani's petition questioning his continued detention over the alleged anomalies in the government's COVID-19 expenditures has been transferred to another division of the Court of Appeals (CA).

Dargani's lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, said the petition was re-raffled to the CA Fourth Division.

The petition for a writ of habeas corpus was previously handled by the Special Fifth Division, whose presiding justice, Apolinario Bruselas Jr., had inhibited himself from the case. 

Dargani's camp earlier asked the Judicial Integrity Board, a body established by the Supreme Court, to impose administrative sanctions on Bruselas for alleged undue delay in the resolution of his petition.  

“Now that the habeas corpus case is before the Fourth Division, we hope that the justices therein will do what becomes them as judges and take immediate action as the petition involves basic liberties," Topacio said.

"Justice delayed is truly justice denied not only for the litigants, but for their loved ones who also suffer especially when the head of the family is unfairly imprisoned,” he added.

Dargani and fellow Pharmally official Linconn Ong were transferred to the Pasay City Jail in November 2021 after they were held in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for their refusal to answer questions during an investigation into the procurement of COVID-19 supplies and equipment.

Dargani's sister, Twinkle, was also cited in contempt and detained at the Senate. She was released from detention for humanitarian reasons on January 11. —VBL, GMA News