Gordon tells Duterte: ‘Big mistake’ to bar Cabinet men from attending hearings

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — It would be a “big mistake” to bar Cabinet members from attending congressional hearings, Senator Richard Gordon warned on Tuesday.

“Uutusan nya raw yung mga tao nya na hindi mag-attend. Mr. President, that will be a big mistake, an even bigger mistake if you tell your people not to attend the hearings,” Gordon told reporters.

(According to him, he would order his men not to attend.)

“That really shows that you’re hiding something,” said the senator, who is leading the probe on government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee.

A separate probe is also being conducted in the House of Representatives.

Asked if his committee would still cite resource persons for contempt and have them detained despite the threat of Covid-19 infections, Gordon said: “Whatever happens will happen. It’s what it is.”

“Sa akin ang hinahabol ko yung puno’t dulo, hindi yung drama na ikukulong,” the senator pointed out.

( What I want is get to the bottom of this, and not the drama of getting someone in jail)

In his weekly briefing aired early Tuesday morning, President Rodrigo Duterte repeated his statement that he would not allow his Cabinet men to face the hearings if the probers would become rude to them.

“You would create a crisis here. Pag ganyang ang bisyo ninyo, I will not allow any Cabinet member to go to Congress to testify. Gawain na ninyo ang gusto niyo, kung ano ang gawain ninyo,” Duterte said.

“Kung ganoon ang treatment ninyo, sinabi ko na noon, that’s why I told the military also, ’pag kayo binabastos nang ganoong klaseng questioning, tumindig kayo,” he added.

The President particularly noting how Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was being treated during hearings that he could not even complete his answer to questions without getting interrupted.