LOOK: President Rodrigo Duterte met with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) members at the Heroes Hall, Malacañang Palace on September 15, 2021. Image from Facebook / PCOO
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said he will allow Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to attend Senate inquiries to “complete their story” and show more of Senate Richard Gordon’s “stupidity.”
Duterte said this just a few days after requiring Cabinet members to secure clearance from him before attending investigations led by the Senate.
“Kung tawagin niyo ulit, paulit-ulit naman, sabagay naumpisahan na kasi, Secretary Duque I would allow him to complete his story. Anyway, naka-testify naman siya sa House,” Duterte said in a taped speech aired Thursday.
(If you are called again, despite it being repetitive, well, you’ve started anyway. I would allow Secretary Duque to complete his story. Anyway, he already testified before the House.)
“Just to allow Gordon to show more of his stupidity. Kaya pabalikin ko sila. Sabihin lang ninyo, just tell the plain truth kay Gordon. Kung putol-putolin kayo edi iconnect niyo ulit. But at least sa House, you’d have a fair chance of getting your story being heard with courtesy and with no pathological legislator bullying you to no end,” he added.
(Just to allow Gordon to show more of his stupidity. That’s why I’ll allow them to return. Just tell Gordon the plain truth. If he interrupts you, just connect the thoughts again. But at least before the House, you’d have a fair chance of getting your story being heard with courtesy and with no pathological legislator bullying you to no end.)
Duterte has praised inquiries conducted by the House, saying the lower chamber allows witnesses to talk unlike the Senate.
“Gusto ko itong sina Secretary Duque pati si Secretary Galvez to finish their story, naumpisahan na e. Kung may itanong pa sila, they should go back there,” he said.
(I want Secretary Duque and Secretary Galvez to finish their story, they’ve already started it. If they have more questions, they should go back there.)
But Duterte reiterated he will no longer allow other Cabinet members to testify before Congress if he feels there is an abuse of authority.
Both the Senate and House have been conducting investigation into the government’s procurement of medical items related to the COVID-19 response.