Duterte hits ‘posturing’ of senators, says investigations result to nothing

President Rodrigo Duterte in a previous weekly public address. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has criticized the “posturing” of some senators, calling on the public not to believe their investigations as it only result to nothing—”no recommendation, no charges filed, no persons jailed.”

“Wag ho kayo maniwala dyan sa mga imbestigasyon, imbestigasyon. Kita naman ninyo walang nangyayari. Puro lang, we will investigate, investigate,” Duterte said in a taped speech aired Thursday.

(Don’t believe with those investigation. As you can see nothing happened. It’s just, we will investigate, investigate.)

“Pakinggan mo yung ibang senador dyan, meron talagang masabi. After investigation, one or two or three days in your hearing, wala na. Walang rekomendasyon, walang dinemanda, walang na-preso. Puro postura lang, question question. Yan ang mahirap,” he added.

(Listen to some of the senators there, just to say something. After investigation, one or two or three days in your hearing, nothing. No recommendation, no charges, no one jailed. Just pure posturing, question question. That’s the problem.)

The Senate has recently been conducting a series of hearings to look into the Commission on Audit’s (COA) report over the Department of Health (DOH) use of funds.

But Duterte insisted that through his late-night program along with some Cabinet members, they inform the people on what the government is doing.

“Mga kababayan ko, nagsasabi kami dito ng totoo. At malaman ninyo kung kami ay nagkakamali, hindi natatago yan,” Duterte said.

(My countrymen, we are telling the truth here. And you will know if we committed mistake, nothing gets hidden.)

“Ako, Presidente ninyo, you trusted me, you voted for me so I would be the last person, ako yung pinakahuling taong manloko sa inyo. Pag hindi na ako presidente, patayin niyo ako kung ako’y nagkamali o nagsisinungaling,” he added.

(Me, I’m your president, you trusted me, you voted for me so I would be the last person, I will be the last person who will fool you. When I am no longer president, kill me if I committed mistakes or told you lies.)

Last year, the Senate Committee of the Whole recommended filing charges against Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and other Philippine Health Insurance Corp. officials over alleged corruption within the state-run insurer.

Despite this recommendation, Duterte then said cannot find a “good reason” to prosecute Duque, whom he called an “innocent man.”

The President also recently said that he will stand by Duque even if it will bring him down as the latter face backlash over the “deficiencies” flagged by COA in the DOH’s handling of COVID-19 funds.

JPV