Ex-Spox Roque questions senate committee's reco vs. Digong et al
CEBU CITY - Where is the legislation?
Former presidential spokesperson and senatorial candidate Harry Roque posed this question to the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Senate after it recommended the filing of criminal charges against President Rodrigo Duterte, Health Secretary Francisco Duque and other government officials.
"They had about 20 hearings, they spent public funds on these hearings. My question, if it was an inquiry in aid of legislation, where is the result of legislation? No legislation came out," Roque said in a press briefing here Saturday, Feb. 5.
Roque likewise lambasted the committee's recommendation to charge Duterte and other government officials for alleged anomalous purchase of COVID-19 supplies.
"It (recommendation) is just a scrap of paper. It has not been voted upon in the Senate plenary which means the individual decision is meaningless. It is just a piece of paper," said Roque.
Roque pointed out that the Commission on Audit has already ruled that there was no overpricing and ghost deliveries in the purchase of COVID-19 supplies.
The immediate purchase was also authorized under Bayanihan Act, he said.
For failing to come up with a legislation after a series of hearings, what the commitee did was in aid of persecution and in aid of reelection, Roque said.
"That was in aid of persecution because they are hitting the president. They don't want the President's candidates to win," Roque said.
Roque said the hearings involving the Pharmally deals is hurting the reelection bid of Senator Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee.
"All surveys indicate that he is no longer in the top 12. Because the people are mad that in time of international public health emergency, they politicized the purchased of live-savinng PPEs," Roque said.
Roque said the committee should "not bother to use the Senate to persecute the President because he is not running."
Although no formal endorsement has been made, Roque said the Uniteam of presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and her running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio is the administration's party.
Roque said it is already obvious that the Uniteam is the administration's party because three former Cabinet members of the Duterte administration are running under it.
"So who will dispute that we are the administration's party?" Roque said.
The three former Cabinet members of the Duterte administration are Mark Villar, Gringo Honasan and Roque.
Roque said he believed that Duterte will eventually endorse Marcos.
"I am giving him the luxury of time. He doesn't even have to because his three former Cabinet members and his lone daughter are already in the Uniteam. He doesn't have to do anything at this time" said Roque.
Roque added that it will not come as a surprise if Duterte goes on to support Marcos.
"I think it will happen. Because me, I found it hard to disregard the choice of my leader, Sara Duterte and as a father, it will be hard for him to disregard the choice of the apple of his eyes" Roque said.