Gordon refuses to give blue ribbon panel to Poe

MANILA, Philippines— Senator Richard Gordon has refused to give up his  chairmanship of the Senate blue ribbon committee to Senator Grace Poe.

Poe has openly expressed her readiness to lead the blue ribbon panel but only if its present chair, Gordon, would give it to her.

READ: Grace Poe ready to lead Senate blue ribbon panel

“Para sa akin, gusto ko ng blue ribbon committee pero dahil nga sa paggalang sa aking kasama na si Senator Gordon, hindi ko naman ipagpipilitan para magkaroon ng kaguluhan pa diyan,” she said in an interview at the Senate.

Poe currently chairs the  Senate committee on public services, and the  committee on public information and mass media.

She said she would keep the chairmanship of the public services unless she gets the blue ribbon committee.

“Dati pa naman ako na naniniwala talaga na dapat magkaroon ng accountability sa gobyerno. Siguro, ewan ko kung magugustuhan ng iba pero bilang isang independent na senador, wala akong partido, so ang tingin ko diyan ay pantay-pantay,” Poe said when asked why she wants to lead the blue ribbon.

She noted how she maintains her independence by supporting the administration’s agenda if it would be good for the people and standing up against it if necessary.

“Para lang sa akin, isang pagkakataon na manilbihan sa isang komite na makabuluhan at makakatulong,” Poe stressed.

But Gordon said he would stay as chairman of the blue ribbon.

He said Poe was “nice enough” to tell him that she wants the chairmanship of the blue ribbon panel.

“Ang sabi nya [Poe] kung papayag akong makipagpalitan sa public services, gusto nyang makuha yan pero wala naman akong sinasabi na ibibigay ko e,”  Gordon said in a separate interview.

“Sinabi ko na sa meeting namin na I’ll stay,” he said.

While he admitted that he also wants the public services, Gordon pointed out that investigations by the blue ribbon panel must be handled by someone  already familiar with its work.

“Why should I give it up? Ang laki na ng trabaho ko dyan, ang dami ko nang ginagawa pa, na iniimbestiga,” he added.

Aside from the blue ribbon, Gordon also chairs the committees on justice, and   government corporations and public enterprises. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)