By Azer Parrocha | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at two senators investigating supposed deficiencies in the government’s COVID-19 pandemic spending, stressing that he would not be elected as the country’s president if he was corrupt like them.
In his prerecorded public address aired Wednesday (Nov. 3) morning, Duterte told Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, and Senator Frank Drilon that they would not be able to find any “loopholes” in the government’s procurement of medical supplies.
“Alam mo sa totoo lang Gordon pati Drilon, hindi ako aabot sa presidency from my mayorship to the presidency kung corrupt ako kagaya ninyo, kung tumatanggap ako ng mga campaign funds diyan sa mga tao na alam ninyo na gumagawa ng kalokohan kasama yung mga miyembro ng Congress (You know, Gordon and Drilon, I will not reach the presidency from being a mayor if I am corrupt like you, if I am accepting campaign funds from erring individuals including members of the Congress),” he said.
Duterte admitted that his administration was far from perfect but corruption was not in his system.
“Kayo diyan ang mayroong butas, wala kayong makukuha sa amin (You have a loophole. You will not get anything from us). It’s not in my system about corruption and money. Ibang bagay siguro masabi mo mayroon akong… pero hindi sa pera (Perhaps you can say something about me on other matters, but not when it comes to money),” he added.
As a public official, Duterte said he had to accept criticisms.
He reiterated that he does not care about what could happen to controversial firm Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., noting that senators could conduct as many hearings as they want.
“Wala akong pakilam diyan sa Pharmally na ‘yan. Gusut-gusutin man nila yan ng isang taong hearing okay lang, huwag lang yung mga empleyado sa Executive Department, kagaya ng Cabinet members na pinapapapunta dun, paupuin at hindi naman tatawagin, tapos pag tatawagin, bastusin (I don’t care about Pharmally. They can extend hearings to as long as a year, just don’t involve employees of the executive department, like Cabinet members you summon to sit down but do not get to speak and were just embarrassed),” he said.
Last month, Duterte issued a memo formally barring officials and employees of the executive branch from attending Senate Blue Ribbon probes into the government’s handling of COVID-19 response funds, noting that it was derailing the government from focusing their time and efforts to address the prevailing health crisis.
READ MORE: PRRD ‘most eager’ to answer legality of his memo before SC
Duterte also pointed out that the executive department merely fulfilled its mandate in purchasing the needed medical supplies in a way that was approved by Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1).
He said the Commission on Audit also clarified that it did not find corruption in the procurement process for the medical supplies. (PNA) – bny
