Dispatch from Crame No. 1213:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the latest Pharmally hearing

The continued refusal of witnesses to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, despite subpoena and even arrest orders, means that these people have a lot to hide from the investigation and the public regarding the Pharmally transactions.

There is a clear design to frustrate the ends of justice in these Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, with witnesses and resource persons more than willing to be cited in contempt, and jailed, by the Senate rather than disobey whoever is behind the cover-up.

However, the cover-up will no longer work as the Committee prepares its evidence for the filing of plunder and tax evasion charges against the Pharmally officials and their co-conspirators. The litany of possible charges enumerated by Sen. Gordon would make any law-abiding citizen cringe at the impunity displayed by those involved. These are people who decided to raid the public coffers in the time of a pandemic when every centavo counts to save Filipino lives. Let the axe fall on them, hard and implacable.