Twinkle Dargani released to mom; pledges presence in Senate hearings if required


Twinkle Dargani, president of the controversial Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, was released from Senate custody at 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

Retired Major General Rene Samonte, chief of the Senate Office of Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), said his office released Twinkle to her mother, Deepa.

Deepa had expressed deep concern over her daughter’s deteriorating mental health condition.

Samonte said there was no need to put Twinkle under guard as she agreed that she would make herself available when needed by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said he ordered the release of COVID-hit Twinkle due to humanitarian grounds.

Twinkle will continue her isolation and quarantine procedure at their Bonifacio Global City (BGC) residence.

She and her brother, Mohit, and Linconn Ong, had been cited in contempt by the Senate committee, for failure to submit corporate documents of Pharmally in relation to its alleged over-priced multi-billion-peso contracts with the Procurement Service, Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) to deliver COVID-related medical supplies.

All three are Pharmally executives.

Because the Senate is on a lockdown until Sunday to give way to disinfection procedures, the Senate hybrid committee hearing of the Pharmally case scheduled on Thursday has been reset January 20.