Not a helpful investigation

THE ongoing Senate investigation into the P8.6-billion procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) by small and hitherto unknown firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. has, just as similar "investigations" have in the past, accomplished only one sure result. All it has done, so far, is to confirm that the phrase "investigation in aid of legislation" is a euphemism and that the exercise is highly unlikely to have any real consequences even if there should be some.

What is known with any certainty, so far, is that Pharmally, a newly formed company with just P625,000 in paid-up capital, was given the large government contract through the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) to supply face masks, face shields and other PPE items. The company did deliver the supplies as per the contract - a fact that has been repeatedly highlighted by Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. as though that should resolve any questions - but at prices much higher than the prevailing market prices for the same or comparable supplies available from elsewhere at the time. Furthermore, it has emerged that Pharmally was only able to fulfill the contract after obtaining a loan from former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang although at the time, he apparently no longer had any role, official or otherwise, in the administration.