(UPDATE) The Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. officer who was reported "out of reach" after testifying before the Senate is believed to be safe and is in contact with other individuals, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Monday.
Krizle Mago, who admitted to the tampering of face shields that Pharmally provided the government, still has yet to return the calls of the Senate blue ribbon committee as of Monday morning, Hontiveros told ANC in an interview.
Based on information she received, Hontiveros said Mago was communicating with certain groups.
"Patuloy yung aming pag-reach out sa kanya, pati sa pamamagitan ninyo sa media at sa social media," she said.
"Pero ang alam namin ay in communication pa rin siya sa ibang mga grupo at indibidwal. Ligtas pa rin siya hanggang sa puntong ito," she added.
Hontiveros assured Mago that her office as well as the Senate blue ribbon committee were open to provide her protection as she testifies before the chamber. The panel earlier offered her security but she said she would think about it first.
"Sana po, lalo na sa parating ulit na hearing sa Huwebes, maging bukas siya pa rin at mas bukas na makipagtulungan na sa Senado na buuin ang totoong kwento sa kwentong Pharmally na ito," the senator said.
Sen. Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate blue ribbon committee, said they would ask the National Bureau of Investigation to locate Mago to ensure her safety.
"I'm worried about her," Gordon told reporters in a separate interview. "It's for her safety. After all, she an admission against interest. Marami siyang alam, pwede siyang ipaligpit."
During the panel's hearing last Friday, Mago admitted that the instruction to change the expiration dates of the face shields came from Pharmally corporate treasurer and secretary Mohit Dargani, who denied it.
In an earlier hearing, Mago also admitted that Pharmally delivered 500,000 pieces of surgical masks to the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management on the same day the request was issued and despite having no inventory.
Pharmally is being investigated by the Senate after it bagged over P8 billion in contracts to provide medical supplies last year despite having only P625,000 paid-up capital.