Senator Richard Gordon on Tuesday hit back at President Duterte saying he is not afraid of the chief executive’s attempts to destroy him over the Senate blue ribbon committee’s investigation into the alleged anomalies in the government’s procurement of COVID-19 pandemic supplies that they deemed are overpriced.
“Mr. President, you are boring. Di ako natatakot, di ako duwag (I am not afraid, and I’m not a coward). Do your worst, Mr. President, as you did with the ABS-CBN. Do your worst as you did to a senator who was elected by the people. I know you are trying to do your worst,” Gordon said at the resumption of the Senate panel’s hearing into the controversy.
“I’m not going to waste my time on you because you are no longer respectable as far as I am concerned, and as far as the people are concerned. Halatang-halata na namemersonal na lang kayo (it’s so obvious that you are getting personal),” he further said.
Gordon, likewise, slammed the President for lawyering for Chinese nationals and businessmen. Duterte has been adamant in protecting Michael Yang, his former economic adviser whom senators are investigating for his involvement in the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service (DBM-PS) deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
“Again, Atty. Duterte is lawyering for his people--the Chinese. Start lawyering for the Filipino people. Instead of reporting to the people (about the pandemic), he spent the time of this government, the national television to lambast the Senate. Do your job!” he ranted.
Gordon, likewise, scored the President for depriving the Filipino people of correct medical care, pointing out that while more Filipinos are dying of COVID-19, Duterte is busy with politicking.
"You have deprived the Filipino people, Mr. President. Sunod-sunod ang namamatay pero abala ka sa pamumulitika. Bakit niyo inaaway ang mga taong ginagawa lang ang trabaho? Ayaw niyo ng korapsyon, hindi po ba? (people are dying and yet you are busy with politics. Why take out your anger against people who are just doing their job? You don’t like corruption, didn’t you)?” he pointed out.
“Mr. President, we have deprived the Filipino people proper access to hospitalization, ang dami-dami pong nagkasakit. Nahihirapan po sila maghanap ng hospital. Hinahanapan ko sila ng remdesivir. Bakit niyo ako inaaway? Ginagawa ko po ang aking tungkilin at ng Blue Ribbon Committee (many people are getting infected. They are having a hard time looking for a hospital. I’m trying my best to find them remdesivir. Why take it out against me? I’m just doing my job and the Blue Ribbon Committee),” he reiterated.
"Hindi ako takot, Mr. President. You’re a bully. The Filipino people can fight back against bullies,” he emphasized.