Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. appealed to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to hasten its investigation on the allegedly overpriced medical supplies purchased by the Department of Health (DOH) during the pandemic.
In a statement on Friday, September 17, Revilla said he believes that senators did not plan to prolong the investigation as they shared the desire to expeditiously charge persons involved in the alleged anomalies in the government's use of COVID-19 funds.
"Dapat talaga i-expedite ang proceedings nang masampahan na ng kinauukulang kaso at mapanagot ang mga ididiin ng ebidensiya (So the proceedings should really be expedited so that appropriate charges may already be filed and hold those people pointed by evidence accountable)," Revilla said.
Revilla also reminded his colleagues about the upcoming 2022 elections, saying "prolonged hearings will not bode well with the public".
"The period for the filing of candidacies will be in less than two weeks. Kung hahaba pa ito, mababahiran na ng pagdududa na baka ginagamit na lang sa pulitika (If we prolong this, there will be suspicion that this is being used for politicking). It can be dismissed as such, and we might lose the chance to hold those responsible accountable," he explained.
"Lalo na at maraming senador ang tatakbo for re-election o mas mataas na katungkulan (Especially several senators will be running for reelection or for higher office)," he pointed out.
Revilla, who during the hearings has maintained neutrality on the issue, also noted that the Senate recognizes other "equally important tasks", such as sustaining the country's pandemic response, and the scrutiny and approval of the 2022 national budget.
President Duterte has been using his televised public address to hit members of the Senate for investigating the supposed irregularities in the government's procurement of COVID-19 supplies.
Senators particularly questioned the award of over P8.6 billion contracts to a recently-incorporated foreign firm that was found to have links with his former economic adviser and friend, Michael Yang.
Duterte also defended members of his Cabinet from allegations of corruption.
During the panel's seventh hearing Friday, Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon maintained that he will pursue the probe despite Duterte's criticisms.