Atty. Lloyd Christopher Lao and businessman Michael Yang (FILE PHOTO)

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently has placed under lookout bulletin former presidential adviser on economic affairs Michael Yang and 8 others upon the request of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee following the inquiry on alleged overprice purchase of COVID-19 essentials by the DOH.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) was issued following an order from the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Yang, also known as Yang Hong Ming, lawyer Lloyd Christopher Lao, former chief of the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM), Overall Deputy Ombudsman lawyer Warren Rex Liong and Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.’s executives Twinkle Dargani, Huang Tzu Yen, Krizle Grace Mago, Justine Garado, Linconn Ong, and Mohit Dargani, all subject of an ongoing Senate investigation on the budget utilization of government-procured Covid-19 response supplies at the onset of the pandemic last year.

“This matter is of national interest. We have made the proper arrangements, and our immigration officers are now on the lookout for the possible departure of the suspect personalities,” Morente said in a statement.

The Senate panel is investigating Pharmally, a company that was awarded over PHP8 billion worth of government contracts despite being less than a year old with just PHP625,000 in paid-up capital.

An ILBO is issued for prudence to double check if there are any pending arrest warrants against the subjects, or monitor their itineraries and whereabouts, should they attempt to leave the country.