A senator explained why he appeared to have black stains on his face during the Senate’s 13th hearing into the handling of COVID-19 pandemic funds and alleged procurement anomalies of the government.
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday shared four pictures on social media and quipped that it could be an entry to the 4 Pics 1 Word mobile puzzle game.
“Four pictures. One word. Sagot: Kakamp-INK!” he wrote as a caption.
“Pasensya na at dahil busy sa pag-take down ng notes ng mga testimonya sa hearing, ayun kumalat na ang ink pati sa kamay at pisngi. Kasi nga #KakampINK!” the lawmaker added.
He also greeted everyone with a “happy Thursday” as he shared two pictures of his notes and a screengrab of his face.
The “kakampink” is a term used by the supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo to refer to each other. She is running for the highest post in the country, together with Pangilinan who is seeking the vice presidency.
Pink and blue are her campaign colors for the 2022 national elections.
Meanwhile, a look at the video of the Senate hearing on Thursday showed Pangilinan with some black stains on his face.
Following his posts on Twitter and Facebook, some online users welcomed the senator’s explanation. They said they were wondering what the black stain was while watching the Senate inquiry.
“Akala ko may bruise ka sa mukha and then after a while ng medyo na focus uli ang mukha mo nawala na,” a Twitter user said.
“Akala ko may nunal na tumubo Sen,” another tweeted with a laughing emoji.
Other online users said they can relate to Pangilinan’s situation.
“Nangyayari rin ito sa akin, Sen! Lalo na pag todo concentrate sa ginagawa,” a Facebook user commented.
“It happens all the time Sir!” another Facebook user said.
Some quipped that he might be working too hard into the Pharmally case that his pen gave up.
“You’re doing your job well. Pati [‘yung] pen mo sumuko [sa’yo],” a Facebook user commented.
“Grabe… hanggang [diyan] umabot ang kalat ng [Pharmally],” a Twitter user quipped.
Pangilinan is a member of the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, also known as the Blue Ribbon Committee, which is holding its hearing into the alleged anomalous COVID-19 pandemic contracts inked by the government.
It is currently probing individuals connected to the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. in relation to the contracts.
The committee is chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon and it is looking at the 2020 report of the Commission on Audit on the budget utilization of the Department of Health in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on its posted agenda for Thursday, it also looked into the state auditors’ findings on the DOH reported unspent funds, misstatements, irregularities and deficiencies.
Payment claims issues between PhilHealth and private hospitals, as well as non-payment of special risk allowance (SRA) and other benefits to healthcare workers were also included in the agenda.
The procurement of COVID-19 vaccines by local government units and the private sector were likewise included.
On the pen leak
Meanwhile, because of the spilled ink, some online users including Associate Justice Marvic Leonen gave tips on how to avoid it from happening in the future.
“Use fountain pens po,” the magistrate suggested.
“Use a ballpoint not sign pen po, sen,” a Twitter user recommended.
“Magpalit na kayo Senator ng brand. Nagtatae pen [niyo],” a online user said.
A blog called “The Pen Company” explained the spilling of ink on ballpoint pens due to various reasons.
“The first reason is body heat. As the pen heats up, the ink liquefies, and this allows it to ooze from the tip. The small grease plug in the ink reservoir also liquefies, meaning the ink can potentially flow from both ends of it,” it wrote.
“Secondly, the capillary action that is at the heart of how a ballpoint pen functions means that when the pen makes contact with fabric, the ink gets pulled of the pen and absorbed into the fabric,” the blog said.
It also said rollerball pen and fountain pen could also leak depending on the circumstances.
However, it pointed out that fountain pens rarely leak.
“A functioning fountain pen will not leak,” the Pen Company said.
The blog recommended that ballpoint and rollerball pens must be stored vertically and in colder environments to avoid ink spillage.
“When it comes to fountain pens, store them in a cool and dry place at the angle you prefer. However, if you take them on a flight, prepare in advance, and you’ll avoid any leaking issues,” it added.
