President Duterte again found "colorful" ways to verbally attack Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, during the former's "Talk to the People" public briefing on late Thursday night, Sept. 30.
Duterte--intentionally or not--set up his tirades by again referring to Gordon by his nickname: "Dick".
"Ano talaga, very appropriate yang pangalan mo (You know what, your name is very appropriate): Dick. How is your...how is your health?" Duterte said in the pre-taped briefing, seemingly changing his words mid-sentence.
The Chief Executive again expressed his irritation over how Gordon would repeatedly summon Cabinet officials for questioning in the Blue Ribbon panel's ongoing public inquiry on alleged corruption in the government's procurement of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) supplies in 2020.
"They have to make critical and crucial decisions," Duterte said, referring to his Cabinet members. "And if they spend most of their time, pinapatawag doon parang boy, paupuin mo lang. Eh medyo malabo yan (you summon them like they're househelp, you make them sit there for hours. That makes no sense), Dick."
"So this time, I will castrate you. Hindi ko na papayagan ang mga tao. Kailangan ko yan tsaka COVID. Inuubos mo yung panahon nila. So tayo na lang mag-away (I will no longer alloaw my people to attend. I need them because of COVID. You're using up all their time. So now we will quarrel)," he said.
Castration literally means the removal of the testicles of a male animal or man. Of course, Duterte didn't mean it in that sense, but rather to emasculate Gordon.
But Rody wasn't done yet, as he would drop another word on Dick that had to do with the male genitalia.
"Prepare tomorrow because tomorrow, you will be one of those impotent by your making, an impotent worker of government. Hindi mo kasi naintindihan yang senador-senador eh (It's because you don't understand how to be a senator). Highfalutin titles...we are all workers of government remember that. So, iwanan na kita dyan (I'll just leave you there), Dick," he said.
Earlier in the briefing, the President accused Gordon of "grave abuse of discretion" for the conduct of his seemingly never-ending hearings and alleged mistreatment of the invited resource persons. Gordon already had one resource person arrested and jailed for his perceived non-cooperation in the investigation.
Duterte said the lawmaker's actions in the hearings border on "an excess of, or lack of jurisdiction". He said a constitutional crisis might get triggered if Gordon insists on having a Cabinet official arrested for refusing to attend the inquiry as a result of the Palace order.
"I'm sure you will use your contempt powers. Hanggang dyan ka lang. Yang sergeant-at-arms mo? Susmaryosep, ipa-aresto ko yan eh. Sino tawagan mo, pulis? (That's as far as you go. I'll have your sergeant-at-arms arrested. My goodness. Who will you call, the police?) I'm ordering the police now to stay out, do not obey the Senate," he said.
"And the military, if Gordon feels like calling upon you, the same order--stay out. Stay out because there is a brewing constitutional crisis here. Not of our own making...the fault does not lie in us," added Duterte.
The President claimed that the purpose of Gordon-led probe was to find information that would show that the administration received kickbacks or earned money from the cov
COVID-19 supply deals.
"Sumosobra ka na eh. Ang iyo talaga naghahanap ka ng butas na makita natanggap kami ng pera. Yan ang gusto mo mangyari. Sus, Gordon. Kasi hindi mo kami kilala (You're going too far. You just want to find a way to show that we received money. That's what you want to happen. My goodness, Gordon. That's because you don't know us)," Duterte said.
In a recent public briefing, Rody told Dick that he would "reduce him to his original size".