An official from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation told the Senate blue ribbon committee on Tuesday that it the company has yet to be fully paid by the government for the COVID-19 supplies they purchased from the firm.

Mohit Dargani, Pharmally’s corporate secretary and treasurer, said the company still has around P1.5-billion to collect from the government.

At the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon committee’s hearing on the alleged overpriced COVID-19 pandemic supplies, Dargani said Pharmally received purchase orders for pandemic supplies from the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) amounting to P10-billion.

But when asked by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon if the company is willing to defer the payment of the unpaid balance until the questions on the alleged anomalous deal between Pharmally and DBM-PS have been resolved, Dargani was mum on the suggestion.

“I can only speak for myself. I cannot speak on behalf of the company. This is something that the board needs to decide on,” he said.

Asked if he would recommend to at least suspend the collection of the unpaid balance, Dargani said he would defer it to the board to decide.

“It is not my decision...The recommendation should not come from me...it should come from the chairman,” the Pharmally official said.

But Dargani said he believes the company should be paid for the goods that they have delivered to the government.

“The goods have been delivered in good faith..so we should be compensated for our deliveries,” he said.

The Senate panel, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, is currently looking into the government’s purchases of pandemic supplies during the height of the pandemic last year, particularly its transactions with Pharmally amid allegations of corruption.

President Duterte, however, has issued an order prohibiting government agencies invited to the hearing to participate in the blue ribbon committee probe.