Duterte to senators: Don’t investigate ongoing projects of gov’t agencies
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday told senators not to investigate ongoing programs of government agencies as it “muddles up” and causes delays in its progress.
Duterte said this amid the series of inquiries Senate has been conducting over the handling of funds intended for the COVID-19 response.
“Do not investigate programs which are ongoing. You will derail it, you will delay it by your incessant penchant for investigating government offices,” Duterte said in a taped address.
“Gusto ninyo lahat pakialaman na lang. Alam mo, you do not run this government alone. Kung hindi naman po nadispalko, bakit ka nagtatanong? The money is there, it is unspent, nobody’s stealing it, it’s there,” he added.
(You want to stick your nose into everything. You’re not running this government alone. If it is not stolen, why are you asking? The money is there, it is unspent, nobody’s stealing it, it’s there.)
Earlier, the President also slammed the “posturing” of senators, saying their investigations usually result to nothing.
“You’re trying to muddle up everything by questioning every time how or why you spend the money,” Duterte said.
“If you keep on hammering these things they are doing, the money that were spent and the money that were not, why don’t you just wait until they have completed the project or until the project is terminated. Ganun sana ang gawin ninyo. Pakiusap lang, for respeto (I hope that’s what you do, out of respect),” he went on.
The President expressed hope that senators’ actions would also be questioned someday.
“Kayo yung palaging nag-iimbestiga. (You’re the one always investigating) I hope someday, we will have also time to question your actuations. We will start with you. Hindi naman kayo lahat d’yan malinis (Not all of you there are clean) but you are the one making a noise. A noise that is just really a noise for no purpose at all but to create a noise,” Duterte said.
