The chairman of the House Committee on Good Government has criticized the findings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into its probe of the multi-billion peso Pharmally-Procurement Service Department of Budget and Management corruption controversy.
DIWA Partylist Rep. Michael Edgar Aglipay claimed there is no basis to file charges against former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, a foreign national, as the blue ribbon committee recommended.
“The senate blue ribbon report walang evidence to support the other charges. Example is Michael Yang, he is not liable in this Pharmally case,” said Aglipay in a viber message to reporters.
“He (Yang) is just a financier and lending money is not a crime and another recommendation, President Duterte crime daw (allegedly) is appointing these officials in DBM and associating with Michael Yang,” he added.
The Senate report chided Duterte for allegedly having “betrayed the public trust, in violation of his oath of office under the 1987 Constitution” because he appointed Yang, a foreigner, as ‘economic adviser to the president in 2018.
The violation cited by the blue ribbon panel is a ground for impeachment.
Aglipay took pride in the good government panel report that was released a few hours before the Senate revealed the contents of its report.
“In conclusion, the senate's blue ribbon committee decision despite its differences with the Lower House, we stand by our own findings knowing that we have based our recommendation on testimonial and documentary evidences only,” he said.
However, the good government report also took its own share of criticisms not from the Senate but from House members.
The opposition represented by Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate questioned the panel for putting all the blame of wrongdoing to alleged “scapegoat.’ “The Committee Report is wanting, even disappointing. It echoes the whitewashing line of Pres. Duterte that, if at all, only Pharmally and its officials are involved in anomalies - the scapegoat. Meanwhile, following the Duterte line, it absolved the IATF, DBM, DOH and officials like Sec. Duque,” said Zarate.
On Monday, Aglipay disclosed that the good government panel has recommended the abolition of the controversial Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management and sought the filing of non-bailable offense of syndicated estafa against six Pharmally officials.
The committee also recommended the filing of charges against two minor officers of PS-DBM, George Mendoza and Marvin Ian Tanquintic, for admitting they falsified the inspection report of a importation by PS-DBM of various COVID-19 safety supplies.
The Lower House committee did not recommend the filing of charges against resigned Undersecretary Christopher Lloyd Lao and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
The Senate panel, on the other hand, accused Duque of being criminally liable for transferring over P42 billion of its funds to the PS-DBM for the purchase of various COVID 19 supplies and equipment notwithstanding the fact that it has its own unit that could conduct the procurement.
The Gordon report also moved for the filing of graft charges and other cases against Lao, together with former PS-DBM chief Warren Rex Liong, Dickson Panti, Linconn Ong, Mohit, Dargani, Twinkle Dargani, Krizel Grace mago, Huan Tzu Yen, Michael Yang, Llin Weixiong, Grace Nono Lin, Yang and Duque.