Manila Bulletin
Gordon on Duterte's angry reaction to Lao probe: 'Are we hiding something here?'
President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Senator Richard Gordon for a lengthy "talkathon" during a Senate probe investigating pandemic spending anomalies, suggesting such politicians should not be re-elected.
Senator Gordon responded by urging Duterte to direct his appointees to address issues concerning the procurement of overpriced pandemic supplies and forgave the President for personal attacks.
Gordon questioned why the President is losing his cool over the Senate blue ribbon committee's investigation into Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao regarding the Department of Health's (DOH) transfer of P42-billion worth of COVID-19 response funds to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM-PS) without proper documentation.
The senator stated that the President should address the anomalies uncovered by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding the DOH's handling of its P67.3-billion pandemic response funds, instead of attacking the Senate and the COA.
The Senate is scrutinizing Lao's approval of an P8-billion procurement deal with Pharmally Corp. for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs) that were deemed overpriced.
Gordon suggested that if Duterte is a good president, he should ask his men what they did and why they did not check the procurement deals.
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President Rodrigo Duterte has criticized senators, accusing them of mere "posturing" during investigations into alleged government anomalies, particularly concerning the Department of Health's (DOH) pandemic response funds.
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Vice President Leni Robredo criticized President Rodrigo Duterte's perceived lack of focus on the government's pandemic response, urging his administration to prioritize COVID-19 programs.
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President Rodrigo Duterte urged senators to stop investigating ongoing government programs, warning that such inquiries could delay their implementation.
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Senators criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for his lack of respect for a co-equal government branch.
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President Rodrigo Duterte accused Senator Richard Gordon of using the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as his "milking cow" to fund alleged election campaigns.
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