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'Fugitives' in supplier Pharmally? Gov't deals with firms, not their execs, says Palace

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Rodrigo Duterte, in his national address from Davao City on Aug. 30, 2021, denies the overpricing of medical supplies bought by government for COVID-19 response. He showed a photo of his former economic adviser Michael Yang that bagged the contract for the goods. Richard Madelo, Presidential Photo  " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/08/31/20210830-duterte-iatf-minb11.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte, in his national address from Davao City on Aug. 30, 2021, denies the overpricing of medical supplies bought by government for COVID-19 response. He showed a photo of his former economic adviser Michael Yang that bagged the contract for the goods. <em>Richard Madelo, Presidential Photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><p>MANILA— Authorities deal with companies and not their executives, Malacañang said on Thursday, after a senator bared the alleged legal mess hounding 2 executives of the firm that supplied supposedly overpriced medical supplies to the government. </p><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday alleged 2 officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. were wanted for alleged fraud, embezzlement and stock manipulation in Taiwan. The firm won P8.6 billion in government contracts for anti-coronavirus masks, face shields, and other medical equipment last year. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/business/09/01/21/hontiveros-2-top-pharmally-officials-allegedly-wanted-in-taiwan">Hontiveros says 2 top Pharmally officials allegedly wanted in Taiwan</a></li></ul><p>Under Philippine laws, a corporation has a &quot;separate and distinct&quot; personality from its stockholders, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque, a lawyer. </p><p>&quot;Ang nag-bid po, ‘yong korporasyon. Hindi naman po kinakailangan busisiin talaga ‘yong personalidad na nasa likod ng korporasyon kasi nga po separate personality ‘yon,&quot; he said in a press briefing. </p><p>(The corporation was the one that bid. The personalities behind the corporation need not be scrutinized because it has a separate personality.)</p><p>&quot;Ang tinitingnan po natin ay kung ’yong kumpanyang ‘yon ay blacklisted sa gobyerno dahil hindi naka-deliver sa previous transaction o hindi nagbayad ng buwis,&quot; added the official. </p><p>(What we look at is whether or not the company was blacklisted by government because it failed to deliver on a previous transaction or did not pay taxes.) </p><p>Government dealt with Pharmally because it offered the lowest quotation and agreed not to receive payment if it failed to deliver supplies, Roque said. </p><p>The personal protective equipment that government bought from Pharmally at P1,700 each were full sets, medical-grade, and heat sealed, officials earlier said. <br/> <br/>The firm reportedly has ties to Michael Yang, a former adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte. A 2017 Malacañang video also showed Yang introducing the President to Pharmally officials. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/31/21/what-is-pharmally-pharmaceuticals-who-controls-it">What is Pharmally Pharmaceuticals? Who controls it?</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/31/21/tax-expert-says-pharmally-deals-with-dbm-suspicious">Tax expert backs probe into Pharmally, says DBM contracts ‘suspicious’</a></li></ul><p> <br/>Duterte on Monday unleashed personal insults and accusations of politicking against Senators Panfilo Lacson and Richard Gordon, who are leading the investigation into the Pharmally deals. <br/> <br/>Lacson said the Senate &quot;will not flinch&quot; in its inquiry, while Gordon, who heads the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said the investigation may lead to President Rodrigo Duterte and his longtime aide Sen. Christopher Go. </p><p>Asked if Duterte would cooperate if the Senate probe eventually involved him, Roque said on Monday there was &quot;no evidence&quot; of overpricing in the Pharmally deals.</p><p>&quot;Kung meron po at meron talagang ebidensya ng korapsyon, hindi na kinakailangan ng Senate investigation. Sisibakin na po ‘yan ni Presidente,&quot; he continued. </p><p>(If there was evidence of this and corruption, a Senate investigation will be unnecessary. The President will fire those involved immediately.) </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/01/21/govt-denies-profiting-from-overpriced-covid-19-goods">Gov&#x27;t denies making money from pandemic as Senate probes &#x27;overpriced&#x27; supplies</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1762737" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><em>Video courtesy of PTV </em></div><div><br/> </div>

Government deals with companies and not their executives, Malacañang said of the alleged legal mess hounding 2 executives of a top pandemic supplier.

'Fugitives' in supplier Pharmally? Gov't deals with firms, not their execs, says Palace

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'Fugitives' in supplier Pharmally? Gov't deals with firms, not their execs, says Palace

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 02, 2021 03:03 PM PHT

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