Photo Release

Conflicting statements: Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expresses his confusion over the conflicting statements of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. administrative staff Krizle Grace Mago who said they collected P12.978 million for the delivery of 500,000 surgical face masks to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) on April 15, 2020. But Lacson said a report from the Commission on Audit (COA) showed that the purchase order (PO) was made on April 16, 2020. “Quoting the official COA report that the purchase order for 500,000 surgical face masks dated April 16, 2020, I am wondering how they were able to collect on the 15th of April. They collected on the 15th but the purchase order was on the 16th. We want this clarified,” Lacson said during the continuation of the virtual hearing on the 2020 Commission on Audit (COA) report on the utilization of the Department of Health (DOH) budget, particularly on its expenditures for the Covid-19 program, Monday, September 13, 2021. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)