President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to provoke a constitutional crisis in order to protect corrupt people, Senator Richard Gordon said Friday.
Gordon made the remark after Duterte ordered members of the executive department to ignore summons by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the allegations of irregularities in the deals entered into with Pharmally Pharmaceuticals.
“It is catastrophic for our country that the President is willing to provoke a Constitutional crisis to protect these corrupt people who have lined their pockets with our people’s money and now go around in ostentatious displays of wealth,” Gordon said in a tweet.
“Of this cover-up, the President has a lot to explain to the people who entrusted their futures to him and who now have nothing but hopelessness and despair,” he added.
GMA News Online has reached out to Malacanang for comment.
— Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) October 1, 2021
During Thursday’s Talk to the People, Duterte hit Gordon for saying that the Senate would continue its investigation “until kingdom come,” saying that this was undemocratic.
“Ngayon, kailan ito matapos? Till kingdom come? Who are you to say that? Sabi ko that is a very undemocratic statement and you want Filipino nation pati kami dito sa executive department, damayan mo?” he said.
“Well, I’m telling you now, I have ordered Secretary [Salvador] Medialdea Executive Secretary to prepare the… I’ll issue a memorandum na lahat ng sa executive department will no longer obey your summons kasi kingdom come ka,” Duterte added.
Duterte has previously required Cabinet members to get a clearance from him first before they can attend the Senate investigation
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is currently looking into the purchase of at least P8.6 billion worth of COVID-19 supplies by the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.
A Pharmally executive has admitted to tampering with the expiry dates of face shields delivered to the government. She is now under the custody of the House of Representatives. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News
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