Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, Nov. 4 said she is not backing down against her accusers who filed sedition charges against her and her staff before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged bribery, saying she is happy to confront her accusers “before a court of law.”

“I am happy to confront my accusers before a court of law. Malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw ang hawak namin na ebidensya na ang witness ang unang lumapit sa amin na may ibabahagi tungkol sa Pharmally (It’s clear that based on our evidence we hold that the witness was the first one who made a step and approached us to tell something about Pharmally),” Hontiveros said at the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the overpriced COVID-19 supplies.

“Taliwas sa kanyang sinasabi ngayon na medical assistance ang kanyang pakay at pinilit namin siya magsinungaling kapalit ng (in contrast to what he claimed that he was asking for medical assistance and that we forced him to lie in exchange for) medical assistance. It is also on record before this Committee na ang witness na ito ay nangamba para sa kanyang buhay at sa buhay ng kanyang pamilya (that this witness also feared for his life and his family),” Hontiveros added.

The opposition senator, who is seeking reelection in next year’s elections, said she is surprised to be charged for conspiracy to commit sedition for questioning Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. on its transactions with the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (DBM-PS).

“Why is questioning Pharmally seditious? Gobyerno na ba sila (are they the government)? Last I checked, it is an undercapitalized company getting the lion’s share of contracts, whose executives are now more and more missing in action,” she pointed out.

“What this attempts is to create a chilling effect not just on the work I do, but on our collective work as senators in the exercise of our oversight powers,” she told the Senate blue ribbon panel chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon.

On Wednesday, Nov. 3, an employee of Pharmally filed complaints against Hontiveros and some of her staff members for supposedly committing sedition and perjury when she presented a witness who testified against Pharmally executives saying they were forced to repack substandard face shields.

A Pharmally official eventually affirmed the witness’ testimony. But the same witness on Wednesday now said he was being bribed and ordered by the lawmaker to lie.

Hontiveros described the complaint as “laughable” and said she is ready to face the allegations against her, and likewise, file countercharges against Pharmally.