In a night of hurling invectives against the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for allegedly insulting Cabinet members, President Duterte once again poked fun Wednesday, Oct. 6 at the weight of the panel's chairman, Senator Richard Gordon.
Duterte also repeatedly cussed at Gordon, whom he flat-out called a "thief" for failing to return to the government some P86 million in "disallowed" funds that had been cited by the Commission on Audit (COA) when the latter was still the chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
"So pakiusap ko lang sa iyo, bayaran mo. Tapos na ako sa iyo pag nabayaran mo. Pag hindi, hahabulin kita hanggang saan. Retired naman ako, matatalo ka man , hahabulin kita (My appeal to you is, pay up. Once you pay I'm done with you. If you don't, I'll go after you anywhere. I'm already retired, and you will lose in the elections, I'll go after you)," Duterte said during the pre-taped "Talk to the People" public briefing late Wednesday night.
"Pag inabot kita, sapakin ko yung ulo mo. Bakit mo tinakbo yung pera ng gobyerno? Di mo naman kaya makipag-ano sa akin. Yang katawan mo? Eh isang wallop lang yan (If I catch up with you, I'll punch you in the head. Why did you run off with government's money? You won't be able to do anything with me. With that body of yours? Just one wallop and you're done)," he said.
"Wag ka ngang mayabang dyan. T*ng*n*ng Gordon na to (Don't be boastful there. Gordon you )," added the President.
Duterte bared in a past briefing that the P86 million was part of a P140-million fund that had been issued a notice of disallowance by COA. He also said that the money, should Gordon choose to return it, would be used to buy additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines.
Not wanting the voters in next year's elections to forget the senator's supposed omission, Duterte advised them to do the following:
"Kahit saan siya mangampanya, bago siya magsalita, magsigaw kayo, "Bayaran mo, bayaran mo (Wherever he campaigns, before he speaks, shout to him, 'Pay up, pay up).'"
Gordon has been leading the Blue Ribbon panel investigation on the alleged irregularities in the government's procurement of COVID-19 supplies in 2020. The veteran lawmaker has yet to declare what position he will be running for in the May 2022 polls.
Duterte had one more zinger for Gordon before ending this particular Talk to the People episode. This time, he resorted to addressing the senator by his nickname--often a prelude for insults.
"Dick, yung kurbata mo, bumili ka na yung medyo malaki para...yang tiyan mo nahuhulog na doon sa pus-on mo, p*t*ng-*n* ka. Salamat mga kababayan (Dick, buy a wider necktie so that...your stomach is already sagging down to your abdomen, you . Thank you, my countrymen)," he said.
Dutere had earlier signed a memorandum prohibiting executive department employees from testifying in the Blue Ribbon panel hearings.
"I have to protect the executive department from the incessant and steady dose of insults coming from the senators," he said at the start of his Wednesday briefing.