News Roundup 01 September 2021
Sep 01, 2021 • 4 min Read
Philippines tops 2-M case count with 14,216 new infections | PHILSTAR.COM – The Philippines opened September with its total coronavirus cases reaching 2,003,955 as authorities reported 14,216 more infections. Today’s figures also saw active cases down by 4,613 from the 145,562 on August 31. The Department of Health said five laboratories did not submit test results. “The relatively low number of cases today is due to lower laboratory output last Monday,” the agency added.
- Active cases: 140,949 or 7.0% of the total
- Recoveries: 18,584, bringing the number to 1,829,473
- Deaths: 86, or now 33,553 in total
Pharmally execs, Michael Yang associate wanted in Taiwan — senator | PHILSTAR.COM – Pharmally International Holding Company executives and a business associate of Michael Yang — a former economic adviser to the president — are wanted in Taiwan for financial crimes, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday. This comes as its subsidiary Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. fields controversy in the Philippines over its bagging of the largest pandemic contracts with the government worth a total of P8.68 billion, edging out more established firms despite being incorporated only in September 2019 with a paid-up capital of P625,000. The holding company’s chairman, Huang Wen Lie, also known as Tony Huang, is wanted in Taiwan for securities fraud, embezzlement, and stock manipulation, Hontiveros told Senate media in a presentation that included news clippings and entries from Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice website. Huang was among the Pharmally executives who met with Duterte in 2017 as seen in a video posted by state media. His son, Huang Tzu Yen, incorporator of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp and Pharmally Biological Inc. is wanted in Taiwan for stock manipulation. Included in Hontiveros’ presentation was a copy of a warrant for Huang’s arrest taken from the same justice ministry website. It details that Taiwanese authorities have been looking for Huang Tzu Yen as early as December 29, 2020. Hontiveros said that despite the outstanding warrant, the Philippine government’s latest purchase from Pharmally was in June 2021. “Why is this government transacting with fugitives?” she asked. Meanwhile, a certain Zheng Bingqiang is wanted for alleged involvement with the elder Huang’s stock manipulation. Hontiveros also showed Senate media a copy of the warrant for his arrest. The senator said Zheng is a close business associate of former Duterte adviser Yang, presenting news reports which identify him as chairman of Xiamen Full Win Group of Companies. Yang, also identified Yang Hong Min, sits as chairman of the company’s local counterpart, Philippine Full Win Group of Companies. Hotniveros also presented a photo of Duterte with both Yang and Zheng from his visit to China in 2015. Zheng also attended the meeting between Duterte and Pharmally executives at Davao City in 2017.
Yang, 2 lawyers with Go, Duterte ties called to Senate probe | INQUIRER.NET – Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said on Tuesday that he had summoned two other associates of President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, and a Chinese ex-presidential adviser to a hearing on the purchase of the alleged overpriced medical supplies made by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM). “If you are a lawyer worth your salt, you look at the common denominator: They belong to the same fraternity with the president; they are all from Davao; and they all come from the office of SAP [Special Assistant to the President] Bong Go,” Gordon said, referring to the two lawyers. He made the statement during an online press briefing in response to tirades from the president.
1Sambayan seeks probe into ‘web of corruption’ in Duterte administration | Manila Bulletin – Opposition coalition 1Sambayan is pushing for an investigation into the Duterte administration’s “web of corruption” that stemmed from the anomalies in the procurement of billions’ worth of “overpriced” medical supplies and equipment during the pandemic. In a statement posted on 1Sambayan’s Facebook page on Wednesday, September 1, retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said that the Philippines “deserve(s) no less than a fully transparent investigation in earnest into what appears to be a criminal assault on our democratic institution.” “We deserve, if warranted, a comite de condenar, not a comite de arreglo or absuelto,” she added. The 1Sambayan lead convenor said this as congressional inquiries and investigations into the Commission on Audit (COA) reports about the P67.3 billion worth of “deficiencies” in the Department of Health’s (DOH) handling of COVID-19 funds revealed links that can be traced to Presiden Duterte’s allies. “The alleged irregularities in the award of P8.7 billion worth of contracts that funded Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws spawn the appalling prospect of seeing a web of corruption,” she added. News reports said that of the P67.3 billion, P40 billion was transferred to the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS), which acted as a one-stop-shop for government agencies during the pandemic, to procure medical supplies. Of that amount, the DBM-PS, which was formally headed by Senator Bong Go’s Palace aide, Christopher Lloyd Lao, awarded P8.6 billion to Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, a company registered only in September 2019 that has a capitalization of P625,000.
