Hontiveros to Lao: 'Time to face the music'

MANILA – Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros welcomed on Wednesday the arrest of former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao in Davao City.

Lao, was nabbed by PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Barangay 18B, Obrero through a Sandiganbayan first division's arrest warrant dated Sept. 12.

He is facing graft charges for an alleged conspiracy to award P4 billion in contracts for Covid-19 test kits to a "favored supplier" during the pandemic,

"Time to face the music, Atty. Lao. Oras na para harapin mo ang mga kaso laban sayo (It is time for you to face the cases against you)," Hontiveros said in a statement.

Now that Lao is in the custody, Hontiveros said he should be prompted to reveal the identity of the mastermind behind the corruption of Covid-19 funds.

She said Lao and his associates have exploited and plundered public funds while many Filipinos suffered from illness, hunger, and unemployment during the height of the pandemic.

Lao's arrest, Hontiveros stressed, should serve as a lesson for those who misuse their positions of authority for nefarious purposes.

"Anumang pagtatago at pag-mamagic ninyo, hindi niyo maiiwasan ang pananagutan ninyo sa batas at sa bayan (No matter how much you hide and do magic, you cannot avoid your responsibility to the law and the people)," the senator said.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed graft charges against Lao and former health secretary Francisco Duque III for the "irregular transfer" of DOH funds to the Procurement Service of the DBM for Covid-19 supplies procurement. (PNA)