The camp of Michael Yang said on Tuesday, September 7, that the former presidential adviser will be attending the Senate Blue Ribbon's next hearing on the allegedly overpriced procurements of COVID-19 supplies and equipment by the government.
Lawyer Raymond Fortun wrote to Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon to promise the presence and cooperation of Yang in the panel's legislative investigation.
"He has expressed his full and complete cooperation to provide information that your Honorable Committee may need from him in aid of legislation," Fortun said of his client.
This developed after Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed on Tuesday afternoon the arrest warrant sought by Gordon's committee against Yang.
At the resumption of the panel's inquiry, senators moved to cite Yang in contempt for failing to attend their hearings despite notices. Two subpoenas have been issued to compel his presence to no avail.
Sotto's office released to media signed copies of the arrest order against Yang, as well as executives of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation who also did not show up in the committee's fourth hearing.
LOOK: Senate President Vicente Sotto III signs the arrest warrants vs Michael Yang, Pharmally executives for their failure to show up in the Blue Ribbon Committee's probe on the DOH's use of COVID-19 funds | via @MBvanneelaine pic.twitter.com/tYuuU8boRG
— Manila Bulletin News (@manilabulletin) September 7, 2021
"Mr. Yang apologizes for his absence in today's hearing, but gives his assurance to be present at the next scheduled hearing of the committee," Fortun told Gordon in his letter.
Yang, President Duterte's former economic adviser, has been linked by senators to Pharmally, which bagged over P8 billion of procurement deals from the Department of Budget and Managament's Procurement Service (DBM-PS) in behalf of the DOH.
Duterte has previously defended Yang.