Sandiganbayan allows Ombudsman to withdraw Pharmally graft cases

The Sandiganbayan has permitted the Office of the Ombudsman to withdraw six graft cases against former Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation officers, stating the cases can be refiled.

The anti-graft court's 1st Division affirmed that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has the authority to review and overturn decisions made by his predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Double jeopardy has not yet been established, allowing for the potential refiling of the dismissed cases.

Ombudsman Remulla ordered the recall of these criminal cases against Pharmally within his first week in office.

These cases are linked to the allegedly anomalous procurement of more than P8 billion in COVID-19 supplies by the PS-DBM, then headed by Lao, during the pandemic.

A Senate inquiry flagged the transactions as anomalous, citing alleged overpricing and claims that Pharmally, a firm with only P625,000 in paid-up capital, received preferential treatment, purportedly through former presidential adviser Michael Yang.