Senator Richard Gordon disputed Friday, September 17, President Duterte's claim that none of the officials in his Cabinet are involved in corruption.
In opening the seventh hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the Department of Health's (DOH) procurement of COVID-19 supplies, Gordon addressed Duterte's defense of incumbent and former officials figured in the allegedly "overpriced" purchases.
"Alam niyo, Mr. President, wala nang naniniwala na walang korap sa Pilipinas (You know, Mr. President, no one believes anymore that there is no corruption in the Philippines)," Gordon said.
"Bata pa ho ako naririnig ko na 'yong korapsyon. Lahat ng Pangulo naandyan (Since I was little, I have been hearing about corruption. It is existing no matter who the President is)," he added.
Gordon also told Duterte that people do not believe that there is no overpricing in his administration's procurements.
"Kahit na sabihin niyo walang overpricing, hindi na naniniwala ang tao, eh. As a matter of fact, balewala na sa tao 'yong overpricing...Sanay na sila diyan sa overpricing, puro kurakot na lang (Even if you insist that there is no overpricing, people no longer believe you. As a matter of fact, people are used to overpricing, because corruption is prevalent)," he said.
The Senate Blue Ribbon panel chairperson again questioned Duterte for supposedly lawyering for resigned Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, who headed the Department of Budget and Management's Procurement Service (DBM-PS) when it was given some P42 billion by the DOH to buy the supplies on its behalf.
He also recalled Duterte's defense of his former economic adviser Michael Yang, who, senators learned, funded some of the purchases of a foreign firm tapped by the DBM-PS for the COVID-19 supplies.
"Nag-aabogado po ngayon si Attorney Duterte. Hindi na po siya Pangulo ng Pilipinas. Dahil siya ang lumalabas na tagapagtanggol ng mga sangkot sa anomalya dito (Attorney Duterte is lawyering for them. He is not anymore the President of the Philippines. Because it appears that he is defending those involved in these anomalies)," Gordon said.
Gordon maintained that the Senate committee is not judging resource persons but is only going after the "truth" about the government's use of public funds.
In his taped "Talk to the People" briefing aired Thursday, September 16, Duterte recognized that there is still corruption in the bureaucracy but denied that Cabinet members were involved in any.
"I'm making you this guarantee: Cabinet members ko, wala 'yan (there's no corruption among my Cabinet members). Puro malinis 'yan (They are all clean)," Duterte said.