The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday, Nov. 4 cited for contempt Lloyd Christopher Lao, a former official at the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (DBM-PS), for avoiding the panel’s ongoing investigation into the national government’s procurement of overpriced COVID-19 pandemic supplies.
It was Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan who raised the motion to cite Lao in contempt, and was seconded by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the blue ribbon panel, adopted the motion, saying he too agrees that Lao is not covered by President Duterte’s memorandun order prohibiting Cabinet members from attending the probe since he is no longer a government official.
“I don’t think we need to ask for a show-cause order to him why he should be declared in contempt and we are now issuign that order,” Gordon said during the 14th hearing of the panel into the DBM-PS’s transactions with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
“Wala ka na po sa gobyerno, kailangan humarap ka (You are no longer working in government, you should be here facing this investigation),” Gordon stressed.
The panel is particularly questioning the Department of Health’s (DOH) transfer of P42-billion worth of COVID-19 funds to the DBM-PS.
Lao has been questioned, in particular, over his lack of due diligence in awarding the P8.6-billion worth of COVID-19 pandemic supplies to Pharmally, an undercapitalized firm that has alleged strong links with Malacañang officials.