[Rappler Investigates] How can we forget Pharmally?

What comes to mind when “Pharmally” is mentioned? For some of you, it might just be a part of some vague memory, a remnant of scandalous corruption associated with pandemic contracts awarded by the Duterte government between 2020 and 2021. Yes, it preceded the large-scale flood control projects whose magnitude could still not be fully ascertained at this point.

The names Michael Yang (former economic adviser of Rodrigo Duterte), former health secretary Francisco Duque, former budget officials Lloyd Christopher Lao and Warren Rex Liong, Pharmally officials Twinkle Dargani, Mohit Dargani (siblings), Linconn Ong, Singaporean Huang Tzu Yen, and Taiwanese Lin Weixiong should ring a bell somehow. Maybe not all, but most of them at least. 

In October 2025, the new Ombudsman Boying Remulla withdrew several Pharmally cases from the Sandiganbayan for reevaluation. He got the anti-graft court’s nod in November to refile cases that have not gone through arraignment and which appeared to be hastily filed before he was appointed Ombudsman on October 7, 2025.

Remember, too, that there was a Senate blue ribbon committee report that never made it to plenary because it was short of two signatures. That report recommended the filing of cases against former president Duterte after his term ended owing to his failure to go after his appointees and associates linked to the Pharmally deals. Senators disagreed. 

The committee led by then-senator Dick Gordon also recommended the filing of graft and plunder cases against the Pharmally personalities. Former ombudsman Samuel Martires, however, chose to play for time and insisted that it was a Manila regional trial court (RTC), instead of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, that had jurisdiction over the charges his office had filed.

Martires — whose grasp of his former role as ombudsman and his appreciation of the law are highly suspect — is now out of the picture. Imagine, his justification for his belief that a Manila RTC, more than the Sandiganbayan, had jurisdiction over the charges is based on the argument that the charges do “not allege any damage to the government or any bribery.” 

How could highly irregular, multibillion-peso contracts awarded to an undercapitalized company that delivered substandard equipment and supplies not be damaging to government? In what universe does this kind of logic live?

Fortunately, the Sandiganbayan and the new Ombudsman are presently on the same page looking at the evidence, the facts, and the characters involved. Years after the Senate investigations, new information has surfaced revealing a wider network of personalities who bring to the table bigger pieces of the puzzle.

Senior reporter Lian Buan, in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and its other partners from Taiwan, Cambodia, and Georgia followed the trail of Pharmally’s boss, Lin Weixiong, for several months starting 2025. 

Investigations found an alleged link to illegal drug trafficking and scam operations in the Philippines, as well as associations with two brothers from Taiwan whose conglomerate, in turn, connects to a drug syndicate operating in the Asia Pacific. Read more here. 

Part 2 of the investigative story, Taiwan drug convict poses as Filipino, links to Pharmally boss Lin Weixiong, dives deeper into the links of Lin to the Hsu brothers. As it turns out, Lin married Filipina Rose Nono Lin, who also attempted, but failed to secure a seat in the House of Representatives in the 2025 midterm elections. A House investigation found connections of the Lin couple’s company to scamming operations. There are threads that circle back to Michael Yang, but as of now these remain as thin threads of association.

While investigations into the Pharmally links were ongoing, lead researcher-writer Jodesz Gavilan was doing a parallel probe into another property, this time in South Forbes Park, purchased for P1.665 billion by Golden Pheasant Holdings Corporation. 

Jodesz has detected a pattern in ownership of uber expensive properties that ultimately lead to former speaker Martin Romualdez. His fraternity brothers from Upsilon Sigma Phi and their corresponding law firms and corporations appear to be favorite go-tos. See for yourself here or better yet, watch the video explainer here.

Let me know if you hear of other properties possibly linked to Romualdez or other politicians, and of other suspicious connections to our Pharmally cast of characters. These issues continue to unravel. Email us at [email protected]. Would love to hear from you as we continue our digging. 

Till Thursday after next!

Why banning political dynasties is harder than it looks

No medical bulletin; Palace releases Marcos video to quash health rumors

How talents won landmark labor case vs GMA Network after 11 years

Step-by-step guide to the impeachment process that awaits Marcos

Not money trail, but words of ‘returnees,’ convicted Frenchie and Marielle

– Rappler.com

Rappler Investigates is a bimonthly newsletter of our top picks delivered straight to your inbox every other Thursday. Visit rappler.com/newsletters to subscribe.