P11-Billion Plunder Complaint Filed In Pharmally Case
Among the respondents are Lloyd Christopher Lao, former head of the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), and businessman Michael Yang, a former economic adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed an P11-billion plunder complaint against 46 people, including officials of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., over alleged anomalous purchases of medical supplies during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed the filing of the complaint, lamenting that many of the respondents “have become invisible.”
“It seems they’re trying to evade the jurisdiction of this body,” Remulla said at a press briefing.
Among the respondents, he said, are Lloyd Christopher Lao, former head of the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), and businessman Michael Yang, a former economic adviser of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
In August 2025, Lao pleaded not guilty before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division concerning the alleged anomalous purchase of P4.1-billion worth of medical supplies from Pharmally during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the press briefing, Remulla flashed on the screen the names of the 23 respondents who cannot be “located in their known addresses.”
“All attempts to find them have failed,” he said.
These include Pharmally chairman Huang Tzu Yen, Pharmally president Twinkie Dargani, Pharmally corporate secretary and treasurer Mohit Dargani, Linconn Uy Ong, Pharmally head of regulatory affairs Krizle Grace Mago, Pharmally financial manager and associate of Michael Yang Lin Wei Xiong, Pharmally biological officer Rose Nono Lin.
Also included are Yang Hong Ming or Michael Yang who has been tagged as Pharmally financier; Yang Hong Jiang (Tony Yang), brother of Michael Yang and Pai Li Holdings director; Pai Li Holdings director Yuqin Zheng; former PS-DBM personnel Mervin Ian Tanquintic, among others.
