The Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 9 authorized the filing of an appropriate petition in the Supreme Court to assert the power of the Senate in inquiries in aid of legislation.
This followed the approval today by the Upper House of Senate Resolution 946 authored by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on this issue.
The Sotto resolution was triggered by the memorandum of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea directing all officials and employees of the Executive Department to ‘’stop attending the Senate Blue Ribbon hearings on the Commission on Audit (COA) Report effective immediately.’’
The Medialdea memorandum was based on the order by President Duterte to his Cabinet officials and other government employees to stop going to the Senate Blue Ribbon committee which was conducting a public hearing on the alleged overprice contracts on COVID-19 medical supplies to Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Senator Richard J. Gordon, Blue Ribbon committee chairman, had locked horns with President Duterte on the questionable awarding by the Procurement Service, Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) of more than P10 billion worth of medical supplies to Pharmally which had a paid up capital of only P625,000.
Gordon had asked aloud why PS-DBM awarded the contracts to Pharmally which had asked the help of Michael Yang, former economic adviser of President Duterte, to help raise funds to be able to get the contracts.
Senators had questioned Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III for remitting P42 billion of its COVID-19 response funds to PS-DBM which used them in buying the medical supplies.
The Senate resolution stated that ‘’it is the inherent right and solemn duty of the Senate to preserve, uphold and protect its and its committees’ constitutional mandate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, including the power to issue compulsory processes, and to accordingly seek judicial relief and affirmation of its rights and prerogatives under the Constitution if and when challenged or interfered with by any branch, department, agency, or instrumentality of the government or by any individual.’’