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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Snub of Cabinet men in Blue Ribbon hearings is gov't loss - Lacson

Snub of Cabinet men in Blue Ribbon hearings is gov't loss - Lacson

Published Sep 15, 2021 02:52 pm

It will be Malacanang’s loss if it prohibits its Cabinet members from appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee probing the controversial alleged overpriced purchases of COVID 19-related medical supplies.

Lscson. chairman of the Senate National Defense committee, stressed this as he joined Senator Richard J, Gordon, Blue Ribbon committee chairman, in telling Malacañang that it would lose the Senate as a forum in explaining or clarifying its side on the controversy.

Malacanang maintained that the contracts were not overpriced.

The Blue Ribbon’s seventh committee hearing will resume Friday morning its hybrid public hearing.

` Lacson said senators have documents related to the alleged overpriced multi-billion-peso contracts for medical supplies awarded by resigned Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) chief Lloyd Christopher Lao.

Lacson explained that the committee could summon other persons and has the power to cite in contempt those who refuse or fail to attend hearings.

The President’s prohibition on persons summoned to appear before the committee might indicate that it is trying to hide something, he added.

President Duterte had said that he would first approve whether or not the invitations or summons to members of his Cabinet. He railed at the committee for inviting so many persons but is able to field questions to some of them who wait for hours to be called.

Lacson recalled hearing President Duterte say that somebody will get hit if there is any whiff of corruption in his administration.

To this, Lacson said that pieces of evidence are pervasive in the PS-DBM multi-billion-peso contracts

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, a former Justice secretary, said there appears a ‘’premeditated plunder’’ in the PS-DBM contracts.

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