Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation on Wednesday, Nov. 3, filed sedition, subornation to perjury, and other charges against Sen. Risa Hontiveros and other persons before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) in connection with the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into the firm’s alleged anomalous transactions with the government.
Also charged were lawyer Jaye Bekema, Ryan Lazo, Veejay Almira and other still unidentified individuals in the Pharmally complaint filed by Jaime Vegas and Mark Clarence Manalo.
Those charged were also accused of violating the provisions of Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
In the complaint affidavit, Vegas claimed that his co-worker, Almira who testified during a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Sept. 24, showed him and their other co-workers of his screenshot of their conversation with the Office of Senator Hontiveros.
The screenshot reportedly bared that the office of the Sen. Hontiveros sent Almira money via electronic money transfer G-Cash.
“Veejay took more pictures and videos of our warehouse and products and sent to Senator Hontiveros on the promise of more money which again happened through G-Cash,” he alleged.
“Veejay was proudly showing us the exchanges of messages between him and Atty. Jaye Bekema and later on the ZOOM meeting with Atty. Bekema and Risa Hontiveros,” he claimed.
Vegas also alleged that Hontiveros and Bekema were trying to persuade Almira to testify against Pharmally in exchange for P20,000, and should he refuse, he would not be paid.
“Hence, Veejay (Almira) was compelled to make the malicious video against Pharmally and signed an affidavit prepared by Atty. Bekema in connivance with a PAO (Public Attorney’s Office) lawyer who notarized Veejay’s previous affidavit in the PAO Lawyer’s residence,” he said.
After testifying before the Blue Ribbon Committee, Vegas said that Bekema and Lazo fetched Almira from his boarding house and brought him to another place to “secure him.”
As such, Vegas alleged that Hontiveros was the one who ordered Bekema to send cash to Almira.
“Veejay personally admitted that he was bribed in the amount of P20,000, aside from the P10,000 and another P5,000 sent through G-cash, just to tell lies to damage and prejudice Pharmally and its officers and shareholders,” Vegas said.
Vegas also alleged that the intention of Senator Hontiveros was “to bring the government down by portraying that this government is corrupt and to solicit support from the general public to rise against the Duterte Administration.”
On the allegations against Pharmally, Vegas said the face masks they have given to the government were not yet expired.
“Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation segregated some face masks with little defects due to the heavy rainfall that seeped inside the warehouse,” he claimed.
In her verified Facebook page, Senator Hontiveros posted the numerous messages of Almira claiming that he has information about Pharmally that would interest the senator.
Contrary to the claim of Vegas, the senator said that they were unable to reply to Almira due to the influx of messages being sent to her official Facebook page.
As seen on her posted screenshots, Almira or VeeJay (which user name V-jAy Almira) has messaged the page of the senator as early as Sep. 3.
Hontiveros noted that last Sept. 9, Almira sent an email saying that he has information about Pharmally, which is a direct contradiction of the claim that he was seeking medical assistance for his child as stated on the complaint of Pharmally.
“Itong mga screenshots ang magpapatunay na hindi totoo ang sinasabi niya ngayon (These screenshots will prove that he is now lying),” Hontiveros wrote on her Facebook post, accompanied by screenshots of the messages and email of Almira.