The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman should conduct investigations into the Pharmally controversy to ensure that the people involved would be held accountable.

In a Newsbreak Chats episode on Thursday, September 30, Rappler justice reporter Lian Buan said that there is no criminal investigation yet into Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, a young and small company which won the biggest government pandemic contracts that had been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Play Video

In the episode Newsbreak Chats: Duterte, Michael Yang, at mga kaibigang may pakinabang (Duterte, Yang, and friends with benefits), Rappler investigative editor Miriam Grace Go sat down with reporters Buan and Pia Ranada, and Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug.

“Kailangan munang mag-open ng imbestigasyon bago tayo makarating sa (There must be an investigation first before we arrive at the) accountability part. There’s no criminal investigation yet…. The Office of the Ombudsman, in fairness to them, has opened a fact-finding inquiry. Pero hindi siya (But it’s not a) criminal investigation. So it’s the very, very first level of a probe,” Buan said.

On September 9, the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it would be conducting a comprehensive fact-finding inquiry into the government’s pandemic spending – a departure from its earlier statement that it would wait for COA’s complete findings first.

So far, the Senate blue ribbon committee has been conducting hearings on the government’s pandemic deals.

Buan said that as it currently stands, only public pressure can force the DOJ and the Ombudsman to formally launch investigations. She pointed out that public pressure helped the Office of the Ombudsman to change its tune in the first place.

“Kasi, I think, matagal na dapat nagkaroon ng fact-finding (Because I think the fact-finding should have been launched earlier),” Buan said.

The DOJ, meanwhile, has said that it would entertain any complaint filed in relation to the controversy.

“So I guess the most we can do at this point is wait for the blue ribbon committee to terminate the hearings and release the committee report and someone could file a complaint. So that’s civil society, that could even be the Senate if they want to endorse the report and fashion it as a complaint,” Buan said.

Impact on elections

The entire controversy surrounding Pharmally and the Duterte administration has opened a Pandora’s box that may have an impact on the 2022 elections.

Vitug said that the issue will drag on until next year, especially if an administration not allied with President Rodrigo Duterte takes over.

“There might be a more robust investigation, kung bago ang administrasyon (if a new administration is elected), Vitug said.

“There is palpable anger, at least in our circles, in social media. So let’s see. It comes as a big issue to consider who to vote for in 2022,” she added. – Rappler.com