Presidential aspirant Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearings on the alleged anomalous transaction between the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation and the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Services (DBM-PS) is already “over the limit.”

Dela Rosa said he hopes that the Senate panel’s chair, Sen. Richard Gordon, would wrap up the hearings and file the necessary charges against the people involved that they believe should be held accountable.

“Being a citizen of this country, and isang taong nag-iisip para sa kabutihan ng ating bansa, nakikita ko naman talaga na very unnecessary na yung further hearings (and as a person thinking for the best of our nation, I can really see that the further hearings are already very unnecessary),” Dela Rosa said in an interview on CNN Philippines.

“The same people kept on asking the same question, pabalik-balik na. Two or three hearings ‘yan tapos na dapat yan kung gusto mo talagang kunin yung katotohanan. Kung may makukuha kang katotohanan (After two or three hearings, you should have wrapped up the probe if you really want the truth. If you can get the truth),” the senator further said.

“Mag submit ka na ng committee report para kasuhan na ang dapat kasuhan. Kung may nakita kang na violate na batas eh di kasuhan na natin. Hindi yung pahabain pa ng ganung katagal. Wala na mga tao, nag sasawa na.. nawalan na ng gana manood sa hearing mo dahil sumobra na over the limit (You should submit a committee report, and so we can harge those who must be charged. If you see any violationof the law, then let’s file charges against them. Don’t stretch the hearings. The people are getting tired, they’ve lost interest in watching because its already over the limit),” the senator added.

Asked if he sees a number of anomalies committed during the last 13 hearings that were held, the senator said he prefers to wait for the committee report that would be released by the blue ribbon panel.

But Dela Rosa said he still relies on the Commission on Audit’s (COA) report clarifying that the state auditing agency saw no corruption on the issue of the government’s procurement of COVID-19 pandemic supplies from Pharmally.

“The COA chairman himself said wala siyang nakitang corruption dito sa (he sees no corruption regarding the) Pharmally issue. Ang nakita lang na issue is (regarding) inventory issues,” he pointed out.

“Pero as far as corruption,, wala silang nakikita. May mas magaling pa ba sa COA sa pagtingin sa graft and corrupt practices kung meron man dyan sa ating executive branch? (they saw nothing. Are there other people who are better than COA at looking into graft and corrupt practices in the executive branch if there is)?” he asked.

But Dela Rosa clarified he is not preempting any results pending the Senate panel’s investigation.

“That is why gusto ko si Sen. Gordon mag submit na ng committee report para malaman na natin (what cases should be filed),” he stressed.

During the hearing last week, Gordon stressed it is important for the Senate hearings to continue especially in the light of disclosures regarding Pharmally’s tax liabilities.

The blue ribbon panel chief had also tasked the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to ask executives of Pharmally, which have refused to cooperate with the Senate, to hand hand over pertinent papers for further investigation.

“I pledge to you, with your support, we will continue this until we leave no stone unturned. I urge the BIR, the Customs people, and the people who know something about this to stand up and be counted as courageous Filipinos,” Gordon had said.