Duterte says he will campaign vs Gordon, orders Cabinet members to ''clear'' with him before attending Senate hearings
President Rodrigo Duterte said he will campaign against Senator Richard Gordon and ordered his Cabinet members invited to Senate hearings to "clear" with him before attending.
Amid the continued hearing by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the purchases made by the government for the COVID - 19 response, Duterte said the administration will release evidence to prove that the purchases being questioned by the senators are legal.
"It will show that all of these things were done according to law, even the prices. I will also want to remind Senator Gordon I will campaign against you for being unfit to be a senator of this republic," Duterte said during the taped Talk to the People aired on Tuesday morning.
Duterte said senators are using the hearing as part of their political strategy for the 2022 election.
"I will require the Cabinet members invited to hearings that he will clear the invitation with me and if I see that person was invited there several times with no other purpose except really to... to stretch the hearing because that is good for the election, until maybe until the election itself. That's OK because you are entitled to your own strategy but for us because (Health) Secretary (Francisco) Duque sometimes, he has not been in control of the working of the DOH because he spends most of his time there with you," he said.
"This time I will require every Cabinet member to clear with me any invitation and if I think he will be called for to harass in front of the Republic I will stop it. I will prevent them from attending. You have the option to cite the person in contempt but it is me who will order not to attend," Duterte noted.
"I think I can do it as president really if there is an abuse of authority there or exceeding the authority of the reasonable time that the Congress conducts a hearing. I will limit you in what you can do to the executive department of the government," he added.
Contrary to his previous statement defending Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., Duterte said the lawmakers can do what they want with the company.
"Pharmally, you can destroy it. You do what you want because we are done here. I use the Bayanihan 1 (Law). That Bayanihan 1 you give the authority for the executive department, even to disregard the procurement law you are behind it. You said you can take whatever measures for the fastest delivery of the things that we need. So that is what we do now you are dwelling on the procurement law and asking the officials to explain of their actuation," he said.
"The medicine is already there. It is already being used, for me the work is done, that Pharmally or drugs then we will talk about it just wait," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
