The Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal from government service of former overall deputy ombudsman Warren Rex Liong over his role in the alleged overpriced procurement of personal protective equipment from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CA's Third Division denied his petition against the Ombudsman's order for lack of merit.
The Court of Appeals' Third Division denied former overall deputy ombudsman Warren Rex Liong's petition to overturn his dismissal from service, ruling it lacked merit. Liong was ordered dismissed in 2023 by the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty during his time as procurement group director at the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management.
He had recommended approving contracts with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. despite the firm's failure to meet technical and financial requirements under procurement laws. "It must be emphasized that the transactions that were investigated and found to be anomalous involved contracts for billions of pesos that came from the national treasury, yet they were awarded to a grossly undercapitalized and inexperienced supplier like Pharmally," the CA ruling stated.
Liong defended himself by citing Republic Act 11469, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which relaxed provisions of RA 9184 during the health crisis. The appellate court countered that laws must be interpreted in harmony with the Constitution. "He cannot hide behind his own interpretation of Bayanihan I, especially since his avowed awareness of it runs counter to the Constitution and the basic tenets of fairness and accountability," it said.
The Pharmally controversy continues to have political repercussions, including new allegations linking associates to campaign financing.