Senators have agreed to release from detention the president of the company which provided allegedly overpriced and substandard face shields and other medical supplies to the government for "humanitarian reasons" after testing positive for COVID-19.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Richard Gordon agreed to release Twinkle Dargani of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. to her mother Deepa who expressed deep concern for her daughter's "deteriorating mental health condition."
Twinkle was earlier transferred to the Philippine General Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 7 but was returned to the Senate. She has "very mild" symptoms.
“Her mother has promised to present her to the Senate whenever she is needed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee,” Sotto said.
Twinkle had been detained in the Senate premises since November last year after she and her brother, Mohit, were cited in contempt for refusing to cooperate in the ongoing investigation into Pharmally's alleged anomalous deals with the government.
Pharmally bagged over P8 billion in contracts to provide medical supplies in 2020 despite having only P625,000 in paid-up capital.
Mohit and fellow Pharmally official Linconn Ong were earlier transferred to the Pasay City Jail, as their presence in the Senate "had put a strain on an overstretched Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms," Gordon said.
MORE ON PHARMALLY:
'Favored' Face Shield Supplier Owes Gov't Billions in Taxes, Drilon Says
Senate Recommends Graft vs Pharmally, Others in Face Shield, Face Mask Deals
Fast as Grab: Senators Question Pharmally's Same-Day Mask Delivery
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