Duterte tells senators to halt probes into gov't programs

President Rodrigo Duterte urged senators to stop investigating ongoing government programs, warning that such inquiries could delay their implementation.

Duterte believes legislative probes, especially into the Department of Health's pandemic response, interfere with the executive branch's functions.

He questioned the necessity of Senate probes into DOH's COVID-19 response, particularly when funds remain unspent and no corruption has been proven.

However, senators remain unfazed by the President's remarks and assert they are merely doing their job.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III stated that government offices have nothing to fear if they have not committed wrongdoing.

Sotto also clarified that the Senate is mostly investigating past issues and not ongoing projects, vowing not to allow skirmishes to derail legislation.

Senator Risa Hontiveros rejected Duterte's claims of delays, adding that the pandemic should not be an excuse to bypass procurement laws and regulations.