Pharmally director Linconn Ong continued to be elusive in answering lawmakers ’questions at the 10th hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon could not accept that Pharmally’s money was spent on transactions with suppliers of medical supplies delivered by the company to the Procurement Service Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).
Although Ong admitted that they were helped by Michael Yang when it came to supplies of PPE and BGI testing kits, Ong did not answer other questions from lawmakers.
Drilon re-examined how much loan or money was given to Yang’s Pharmally, but the non-disclosure agreement between them and the former presidential economic adviser was Ong’s defense.
“We have signed an NDA with Mr. Yang, and I have to invoke my right against self-incrimination,” said Ong.
Drilon also asked when the NDA was signed, but Ong reiterated his right against self-incrimination. Ong also could not say if their NDA were notarized and when they signed it.
Ong said the company holds its NDA.
Because of this, Drilon said, there is a basis that Ong will continue to be detained for his continued refusal to ask questions even though it cannot be considered self-incriminatory.
Ong of Pharmally elusive in providing details about Yang’s help
“I think we should continue to detain Mr. Ong until he allows us to perform our functions as a committee by answering our questions that we have raised to him. Questions which he has already answers partially but refused to complete the answer,” said Drilon.
Ong said he is a Filipino born in Pangasinan and attended college at De La Salle University.
He said his father was Filipino but did not know if his Filipino identity was naturalized.
Ong was asked again how he got expensive cars that he called “fruit of Pharmally.”
Ong did not answer whether the money to buy expensive cars came from what he earned from Pharmally.
Ong said his lawyers advised him that he could assert his right against self-incrimination when money was in question.
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