Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson Senator Richard J. Gordon announced that the committee has allowed, for humanitarian reasons, the 10-day abeyance of the arrest order against Pharmally-linked Rose Nono Lin following her camp’s request as she is currently confined in a hospital for a “surgical procedure.”
“If Rose Nono Lin is indeed ill and needs to have surgery in a hospital, we are not heartless people to not allow such required procedure to be performed on her,” said Gordon.
Lin is running for representative in Quezon City’s 5th District. She is the wife of Lin Weixiong, identified as the financial manager of Pharmally who never showed up in any hearing.
The Lins are also business associates of former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang, the Chinese businessman alleged to be the backer of Pharmally. The small company was questioned for bagging billions of pesos worth of government supply contracts with no track record and insufficient capital.
On Jan. 29, Senate security personnel tried to arrest Lin but her lawyer said she was under quarantine, but did not disclose the location. Four other Pharmally-linked people could not be found in their known addresses.
However, the senator emphasized that the investigation will go on as necessary until the whole truth of the scandal is uncovered and the perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Rose Nono Lin’s husband remains outside of the country despite her being supposedly ill with COVID-19 and other maladies. This goes to show that he would rather be absent and far from his wife even during these times. It tells us that his evasion of Senate summons is more
important than providing succor to his spouse,” Gordon pointed out.
“It must also be emphasized that Rose Nono Lin is not exempt from appearing in the continuing investigation nor will her supposed illness exempt her from justice,” he stressed.
In a Pasay City Regional Trial Court hearing on Friday, counsel for Lin sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order and injunction seeking to prohibit the Senate from enforcing an arrest order issued against her for contempt due to her failure to attend two hearings despite the subpoena issued by the committee.
Aside from being currently hospitalized, Lin’s camp has requested not to have the arrest order against her be implemented for 10 days while the counsels undertake to study the cases further.
In a partial report signed by eight out of 20 members so far, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommended the deportation and prosecution of Yang and Lin Weixiong over the corruption scandal. It also sought criminal and administrative charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, former Procurement Service head Lloyd Christopher Lao, and Pharmally executives, among others. The report also stated that President Rodrigo Duterte must face charges after his term of office in June.
