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Drilon seeks COA commitment on Pharmally audit findings: Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon presses Mario Lipana to give his commitment to fast track its special audit on government deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation (Pharmally) following his confirmation as the next Commissioner of the Commission on Audit (COA) Wednesday, January 26, 2022. During the hybrid deliberation on the nomination of Lipana, Drilon asked Lipana whether the latter would inhibit from the Pharmally audit in order to expedite the submission of COA’s findings on Pharmally deals to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. He pointed out that outgoing Commissioner Jose Fabia made a commitment to submit the COA report last December 31, 2021 but failed to deliver his promise. Lipana, in response to Drilon’s queries, said he cannot inhibit from the case since it is his constitutional duty to be involved in the investigation. As a compromise, the COA official vowed to furnish the Senate a report on the status of the investigation in the first week of February. “I guess we have to settle for that… if that’s the best that he can give, I don’t want to delay the decision of the Committee and the Commission, given this very critical office, but I do hope and my message to the nominee is please do not disappoint neither this Committee nor the Filipino people insofar as this very critical function of COA, vis-à-vis Pharmally,” Drilon said. (Screen grab / Senate PRIB)