Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Wednesday, September 2 asked Senator Richard J. Gordon to inhibit himself as Blue Ribbon committee chairman for possible conflict of interest.

Go said the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) which Gordon heads as CEO and chairman has a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) for COVID-19 testing early on in the pandemic.

PhilHealth is part of the Senate probe on the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) that the Department of Health (DOH) is deficient in its handling of P67 billion in COVID-19 response funds.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III is chairman of the PhilHealth board.

Senators smell that there is something wrong with the way the P42 billion DOH response funds it remitted to and disbursed by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM).

They said there was overpricing in the purchase of COVID-19 medical supplies by PS-DBM to choice bidders.

In a privilege speech delivered at the Senate Session on Tuesday, August 31, Go stated that the “Filipino people deserve fairness and due process” from a committee that is held in high regard and plays a major role in the government’s anti-corruption drive.

“The Filipino people deserve fairness and due process, most especially in a committee that we hold in high regard. Napaka-crucial (ng role) ng Blue Ribbon dahil aminado naman tayong lahat na para umunlad ang bansa, kailangan linisin ang gobyerno (The role of the Blue Ribbon is very crucial as we admit that for a nation to progress, the government has to be cleansed),” he said.

“Bilib ako sa accomplishments ng Senado, lalo na sa kontribusyon nito laban sa korapsyon, kaisa ninyo ako diyan(I believe in the accomplishments of the Senate, especially in its contribution against corruption, I am with you in this). Anumang anomalya sa gobyerno, kaisa ninyo akong labanan 'yan. Mula 2019 ... marami na tayong nadiskubre, nai-report, at naaksyunan upang matugis ang mga magnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Halos lahat niyan ay malaking itinulong ng mga Blue Ribbon hearings (Since 2019 ... we have discovered many things, we have reported it, and acted to help arrest the thieves of public funds. The Blue Ribbon hearings have contributed to almost all of these),” he added.

“Hindi ba may conflict of interest na isa sa iniimbestigahan mo ay ka-transaksyon ng organisasyong pinamumunuan mo? (Is it not a conflict of interest that one of those being probed has a transaction with the organization you are the head?) Nagtatanong lang ... Dagdag pa nga diyan, hindi ba disadvantageous sa gobyerno at against the law ang paghingi ng advance payment? (I am just asking...added to this, is it not disadvantageous to the government and against the law if you ask for advance payment?. Anyway, let us save that discussion for another forum,” he continued.

“In the spirit of fairness and impartiality, shouldn’t the Blue Ribbon Committee Chair inhibit himself from further hearing all matters involving PhilHealth? Make no mistake ... I will not present any conclusions here without due process and fairness. Tinuturuan ako ng tama at kailanman ay magiging patas ako. Sana naman maging patas rin kayo (I was taught to do the correct way and to be fair always. I hope that you are also fair),” he urged.

The PRC is a non-profit humanitarian organization that has provided disaster relief and emergency assistance in the Philippines, among its other contributions. In May 2020, it entered into a multi-million peso agreement with PhilHealth that required an advance payment of P100 million which may possibly be in conflict with auditing rules and regulations.

The senator from Davao emphasized his respect for the committee chair but noted that Gordon has shown unequal treatment of his colleagues.

Go called him out for failing to afford him the respect and courtesy befitting of a fellow senator and encouraged the latter to exercise fairness and respect due process in order for the truth to come out for the benefit of the Filipino public.

“Sabi niya pa naman, patas siya. Patas nga ba? (He said he is fair. Is he fair? Sabi niya, lahat pwede magsalita sa hearing niya, totoo nga ba? Sabi niya, the truth must come out, pero bakit parang iba ata pinapalabas niya? Prangkahan lang. Doon lang tayo sa totoo. Hayaan nalang natin ang publiko ang humusga, anyway napanood niyo naman po (He said, everybody will be allowed to talk, is this true? He said, the truth must come out, but it seems that he is showing the opposite? Let’s be frank. We are for the truth. Let the public be the judge, anyway you have watched it),” he said.

“Malaki ang respeto ko sa inyo noon pa ... Palagi akong nagpapakumbaba sa inyo, kaya siguro ang trato mo sa akin hindi kapwa Senador. (I have a high respect for you. I always humbled myself before you, and maybe this is the reason why you are not treating me as your fellow senator). Kahit sa mga hearings ... ang trato mo sa akin parang resource person lang na pwede mong barahin habang nagsasalita. Other Senators were accorded the privilege to have an opening statement in the hearings. Bakit ako kailangan mag-stick sa topic na gusto mo? During hearings, you treated me as a resource person that you can stop from talking anytime. Other senators were accorded the privilege to have an opening statement in the hearings. But in my case, why I have to stick on the topic that you want?)” he pointed out, before adding that Gordon also unfairly scolded him for PhilHealth’s alleged delayed payments to the PRC.

Go stated that he is already being careful with his words because of his respect for the institution and his colleagues. But just like them, he pointed out that he too represents the Filipino people to whom he owes the privilege to serve and speak in this chamber.

He added that he always abides by President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions to speak out on any wrongdoing and expressed disappointment at the proceedings for failing to be impartial in probing the allegations of anomalies in the use of COVID-19 funds.

“Tulad ng bilin sa akin ni Pangulong Duterte, kung may nakikita akong mali, magsasalita ako! Mapapaisip ka talaga dahil sa hearing sila na ang nagtatanong, sila ang nag-iimbestiga, sila rin ang sumasagot, sila na rin ang huhusga at gagawa ng konklusyon (President Duterte has always reminded me, if I saw anything wrong, I have to talk! Come to think of it, during the hearings, they're the ones asking questions, they're the ones doing the investigation, and they are also the ones giving the answers to their questions. They are also the judges and the one making the conclusion). I know this is not a judicial court but it does not take a lawyer to figure out that you cannot be the judge, jury, and executioner all at the same time,” said Go.

Nevertheless, Go stressed his commitment to support the fight against corruption, as demonstrated by his participation in several inquiries including those on the alleged corruption in PhilHealth and the Bureau of Corrections.

He called on those who boast about their accomplishments, saying that everyone plays “a part in pursuing a clean government regardless of which branch of government we are in or what position we hold”.