Hontiveros reveals another Pharmally executive has worked for gov't under Michael Yang

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday revealed that Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation executive Mohit Dargani has worked as a Special Assistant to former Presidential Economic Adviser Michael Yang.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Hontiveros showed a LinkedIn profile of Dargani, in which he labels himself as "Special Assistant at the Office of the Presidential Economic Adviser."

"Bakit lahat ng mga may-ari ng Pharmally may koneksyon kay Michael Yang? Si Linconn Ong nakatrabaho na niya bilang translator di umano sa meeting ng Pharmally kasama si President Duterte noong 2017. At ngayon, napag-alaman natin pati si Dargani nakatrabaho rin niya. The Pharmally-Michael Yang relationship seems to run deep," Hontiveros said.

In the last hearing, the Senate bared the luxury cars owned by Pharmally executives. In line with this, Hontiveros said she supports Senator Leila de Lima's call for the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze and investigate the assets of Pharmally executives.

"Nakakasuklam na lantaran ang mga Lamborghini at Porsche nila habang nalulugmok sa kahirapan ang ating mga kababayan," Hontiveros said.

Pharmally executives Huang Tzu Yen and Linconn Ong had said in an earlier hearing that Michael Yang helped finance or guarantee the purchase of supplies and equipment from their suppliers in China. However, the senator added, Yang claimed before the House of Representatives that it was the money of his friends that financed Pharmally.

"This must have been a big risk on Yang's part and on the part of his mysterious 'friends', reputational, financial, or otherwise. Why was he so sure that the Pharmally crew would be able to pay their suppliers in China? Bakit ang lakas ng loob?" Hontiveros asked.

"Ang nakakabahala sa lahat ng ito ay parang ipinaubaya ng PS-DBM ang ating COVID-19 response sa friends of friends of friends ng mga dayuhang tulad ni Michael Yang. Bakit malapit na kaibigan ang turing ng PS-DBM sa kanila habang parang mortal na kaaway ang turing nila sa aming mga Senador? We should be on team Philippines, not team Michael Yang," Hontiveros concluded.

*Please see attachment