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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace awaits Senate Blue Ribbon final report on Pharmally before taking action

Palace awaits Senate Blue Ribbon final report on Pharmally before taking action

Published Feb 2, 2022 09:33 am

Malacañang preferred to wait for the final and official report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the government's deal with pharmaceutical firm Pharmally before taking action, saying the initial report that was released on February 1 had not been adopted.

President Rodrigo Duterte (Malacañang photo)

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the statement after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee found President Duterte "betrayed public trust" in connection with actions related to the government's deal with Pharmally to acquire coronavirus (COVID-19) equipment in 2019.

In an interview with ANC, Nograles said that Malacañang cannot comment on the initial report just yet.

"It's just, right now, something that we cannot really comment kasi hindi pa naman 'yan official (because it's not yet official) and it's just a partial report," he told "Headstart" on Wednesday, February 2.

"Mahirap magsalita about it kasi wala rin kaming official copy (It's difficult to make a statement because we don't have an official copy)," he added.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said charges against Duterte should be dealt with after he steps down from Malacañang, citing his immunity to suit as president.

Aside from Duterte, the Committee recommended plunder, graft, and other criminal and administrative charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, other former government officials, and Phamarlly executives.

It likewise called for the deportation of Chinese businessman Michael Yang. Yang's appointment as "Economic Adviser to the President" in 2018 was one of the violations that Duterte supposedly committed against his oath.

Nograles, during his interview on Wednesday morning, reiterated that President Duterte is not defending anyone.

"Paulit-ulit na sinasabi naman ni Pangulong Duterte... file-an niyo ng kaso ang kailangan niyong file-an ng kaso (President Duterte has repeatedly said that they should file cases against those responsible)," he said.

"Wala siyang pinoproteksyunan dito. Kung sino man ang dapat kasuhan, kasuhan na ninyo. Yun lang (He's not protecting someone. If you have to press charges against someone, then do it. That's it)," he added.

According to the initial report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, President Duterte betrayed public trust when he banned officials from attending hearings.

Nograles came to Duterte's defense, saying the President already gave the Senate the opportunity to question his officials.

"Pinagbigyan niya. Pero at one point, noong napansin niya na na paulit-ulit yung tanong at minsan nga walang tinatanong pero pinapatawag, nagsa-suffer na ang public service (He allowed them to do that. But when he noticed that the questions being asked were the same and sometimes the officials were summoned but not asked, he felt public service was already suffering)," he said.

"Hindi niya lang gusto is that nagagamit nga yung Senate hearing bilang plataporma para sa politika na nadadamay ang trabaho ng kanyang mga kalihim (What he did not like is that the Senate hearings were used as a platfom for politics and it affected the work of the secretaries)," he added.

The acting Palace spokesman likewise said Duterte's order preventing Cabinet secretaries and other officials from attending hearings was a question of law and is pending at the Supreme Court.

Related Tags

President Duterte Karlo Nograles Senate blue ribbon committee ANC Headstart Senate report Pharmally
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