“Missing” Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. executive Krizle Grace Mago was placed under “protective custody’ of the House of Representatives after presenting herself by her lonesome before the chamber’s sergeant-at-arms at around 6:30 pm on Friday, Oct. 1.
She said her "life and liberty" are in grave danger.
The information was relayed to the media by DIWA Partylist Rep. Michael Aglipay, chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, saying that the presentation happened a day after Mago contacted Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to seek his help.
Earlier, Aglipay and Velasco subpoenaed Velasco to appear before the the committee which will hold its next hearing on the controversy surrounding the purchase by government of over P8 billion in allegedly overpriced face masks, face shields and other COVID-19 supplies from Pharmally.
Aglipay immediately informed Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Good Government, that Mago is currently under the protective custody of House sergeant-at-arms Gen. (retired) Mao Aplasca at the Batasan Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
A day before she surfaced in the Lower House, Mago sent a letter to Velasco requesting that she be placed under “protective custody form the House of Representatives.”
“Presently, I cannot speak freely about the ongoing investigation of the alleged overprice of medical equipments without feeling threatened due to the undue influence and pressure being exerted from various sources, “ she said in the letter.
“I feel that my life and liberty is in grave danger because of my coming out and my desire to speak the truth. Also now, I came across the information from the news that the police and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) are tracking me down including my grandparent’s home in the province and took photos and videos without their consent,”she said.
Mago, regulatory affairs chief of Pharmally, told Velasco: “The protective custody that I am requesting from the HOR would help me speak freely without unnecessary compulsion from anyone.”
It was reported that a ‘zoom’ conference among House officials and Mago was conducted to arrange her ‘surrender”.
“She came to the Lower House by herself, nobody accompanied her. Nag-Grab lang siya (She took a Grab),” a source from Aplasca's office disclosed.
Mago’s testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee a week ago was considered damaging to Pharmally as she confirmed that they tampered with the “expiry date’ of the face shields delivered by the company to government.
She had been offered protective custody by the Senate immediately after testifying on Sept. 24.
The Pharmally officer no longer showed up or answered telephone calls after that. She did not show up at the resumption of the Senate hearing on Sept. 30.