PRRD misinformed about Senate vaccine probe – Sotto
President Duterte has appealed to Congress “not to tinker” with the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and force its personnel to testify against their will, defending their recent vaccination against the coronavirus was a matter of “self-preservation.”
Although he denied he was trying to cover up the action of his close-in security team, the President warned of a “little crisis” if PSG personnel are compelled to divulge details about their vaccination.
(ALBERTO ALCAIN/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte said he would direct the PSG not to appear in the hearing or “shut up” if the lawmakers insist on meddling in its affairs.
“I would like to call on Congress na hindi naman ako nakikiusap. Ang ano ko lang diretso na salita na (– I am not pleading. I'm just saying it clearly –) do not tinker with the PSG. I’m telling you as President it’s a matter of selfpreservation so hanggang diyan na lang ako. I will not elaborate on it but do not force my hand to meddle into this affair because maybe I will not – I am not so keen about allowing (PSG commander Brig. Gen. Jesus) Durante and the rest of the PSG to testify,” he said in his televised address Monday night.
If the PSG personnel are called to testify in Congress, Duterte said he would tell them “to just shut up” and “invoke the right against self-incrimination.”
“Wala kayong makukuha (You won’t get anything),” he said.
Duterte also warned against citing the PSG in contempt and detaining them if they ignore the inquiry.
If any PSG member is detained, Duterte said he would go to Congress and free his security personnel.
“Do not force my soldiers to testify against their will. At huwag ninyong icontempt-contempt na i-detain ninyo (Do not cite them in contempt and detain them). I do not think it will be good for you and for me. It would not be healthy for everybody,” he said.
“‘Pag ginawa ninyo ‘yan (If you do that), there will be a little crisis. Nasa inyo (It’s up to you). Ako, I am prepared to defend my soldiers,” he said, adding he was trying to protect the PSG from being “brutalized” in a congressional hearing.
Duterte misinformed
Reacting to Duterte’s warning, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the President may have been misinformed that members of his security group will be summoned to explain the unregistered COVID-19 vaccines supposedly administered to them.
Sotto maintained on Tuesday that the Senate Committee of the Whole's January 11 hearing will be focusing on how the government will spend the P72.5 billion allocated in the 2021 national budget funds for the purchase and distribution of coronavirus vaccines for the country, and not the unauthorized inoculation of the PSG, military, and other officials in the executive department.
“He is misinformed. I’m the chairman of the Comm of the Whole as Senate President. The topic of my hearing is the roadmap for the P72.5 for vaccines,” Sotto said in a text message sent to reporters.
“Who in heaven’s name told him I'm calling for the PSG? I think the President is being misled,” he added.
Contrary to the President's belief, Sotto said he has no plans to call the PSG to the hearing.
“Ako (I am the) chairman. Wala akong binabago sa original na hearing intent (I have not changed the intent of the hearing). Bakit pinangungunahan nila ako (Why are they preempting us)?” Sotto said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson also lamented that the Senate inquiry is being dismissed as a hearing to only discuss PSG's vaccination.
“It is awful that the Senate hearing wants to focus on investigating the PSG personnel who allowed themselves to be inoculated instead of asking why we have no vaccines yet, unlike many other countries,” he said on Twitter.
“Let’s ask again – who dropped the ball?” he added. Lacson said that while it is “more important” to focus on the government's immunization program, this does not mean that related issues will be set aside.
He said Malacañang should likewise not meddle with the Senate's upcoming inquiry.
“Ibabalik natin sa Malacañang 'yong panghihimasok na issue (Let's throw the meddling issue back at Malacañang). Hindi na dapat manghimasok 'yong Malacañang sa tungkulin ng Senado o ng Kongreso na kung kami ay may pagdinig, uubra na kami ay magpatawag ng resource persons (Malacañang should not intervene with the Senate's or Congress' mandate to call for resource persons whenever we have a hearing),” Lacson told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.
“'Pag kami ay nagpatawag ng resource persons, hindi naman ibig sabihin na mga suspects 'yon, gusto lang natin maliwanagan at in aid of legislation (When we summon resource persons, that does not mean that those are suspects, we just wanted to be enlightened in aid of legislation),” he pointed out.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the Senate is an independent branch and it “is well within our rights, lalo na sa ganyang hearing ng (especially in hearings like that of the) Committee on the Whole, to invite resource persons to shed light on the issues that we will be inquiring into or investigating.”
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who initially called for the Senate inquiry, also said it is up to senators whether or not to take up the PSG's vaccination in the hearing.