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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lawyer who visited Darganis isn't connected with Malacañang anymore --Nograles

Lawyer who visited Darganis isn't connected with Malacañang anymore --Nograles

Published Nov 17, 2021 03:07 pm

The lawyer who visited Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp executives Mohit and Twinkle Dargani at Senate detention isn't presently connected with Malacañang.

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go (standing) and President Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

Cabinet Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles made this clarification in a statement Wednesday, Nov. 17. He identified the lawyer as Atty. Daryl Ritchie Valles.

"We have recently come across reports that say a lawyer allegedly from the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) visited the Dargani siblings while under Senate detention," Nograles said.

"In the interest of providing the media and the public with information regarding the lawyer, Atty. Daryl Ritchie Valles, we made an effort to validate and confirm the dates of his employment in Malacañang," he bared.

"Based on the records of the Human Resources Management Office the lawyer was formerly under the Office of the President, and resigned on 1 March 2021," the Cabinet Secretary said.

Nograles added that, upon leaving the Office of the President, Valles found work in an office under the House of Representatives.

OSAP was created by President Duterte upon assuming his post in 2016. Heading the office was Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, his longtime aide and friend.

Go would resign from his post two years later on Oct. 15, 2018 in order to purse a Senate seat in the following year's elections. He won.

Administration critics have been claiming for months that the Duterte administration has been coddling Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. and its officials. Pharmally, an upstart company, won multi-billion peso contracts for the supply of medical goods last year amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee has carried out high-profile hearings on the alleged anomalies regarding Pharmally's procurement of COVID-19 supplies. This included supposed overpriced personal protective equipment or PPEs.

The government has consistently said there were no anomalies in the supply deals, and that the Commission on Audit (COA) itself has debunked the overpricing claims.

Senate security personnel led by Senate Sergeant-At-Arms Rene Samonte arrested the Dargani siblings at the Davao City International Airport last Sunday. The two were reportedly about to board a private plane.

The Palace earlier said that the executive branch should be credited for the arrest of the fleeing siblings.

Related Tags

President Duterte Senate Karlo Nograles Lawyer Pharmally Pharmaceutical covid-19 visit Malacañang Darganis detention Christopher lawrence bong go dargani mohit twinkle 111721 connected
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