Sotto, Gordon hit back at ‘kangaroo forum’ tag vs blue ribbon probe

Sen. Richard Gordon (left), chair of the blue ribbon committee, and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto (right) III. Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Richard Gordon hit back at the counsel of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong for calling the Senate blue ribbon committee’s ongoing investigation as a “kangaroo forum.”

“[T]his is not a fair forum. This is a Kangaroo forum. The blue ribbon, not all ha? Some members of the blue ribbon committee are not out to get the truth,” lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said of the blue ribbon investigation being led by Gordon.

“They’re out for blood. Kaya naman unfair sa kliyente ko kung siya (Ong) ang gagawing pawn, gagawing sacrificial lamb para makakuha ng dugo [It’s unfair to my client if he will be made a pawn, a sacrificial lamb],” Ong’s counsel further said.

Asked to respond, Gordon denied that his committee has become a “kangaroo forum” and said he can cite Topacio in contempt for making such statements.

“It takes one to know one na kangaroo. We’re not a kangaroo court,” the senator said.

“I can hold him in contempt for that…I will prove that we are indeed a powerful committee,” Gordon added.

Sotto also issued a rebuke against Topacio’s statement criticizing the investigation, which is looking into Pharmally’s multi-billion pandemic response supply contracts with the government.

“Never threaten or call the Senate names! What do they expect by threatening the Senate? That we roll over and die? Will never happen!” the Senate president said.

Gordon, meanwhile, brought up Topacio’s supposed push for his wife to be appointed to the Court of Appeals.

“Nakikiusap pa siya na ipa-appoint ‘yong kanyang asawa sa Court of Appeals [He was appealing that his wife be appointed to the Court of Appeals]. ‘Yan ang pagkatao niya [That’s his character],” Gordon said.

“He uses everything to try and get a purchase on anything,” he added.

Ong, upon the advice of his counsel, has declined to participate in a Senate executive session to divulge details on the transactions between Pharmally and the government.

Sotto earlier said Ong had agreed to share information with the Senate in exchange for protection.

But senators “will assess first the info he has offered” in a closed-door executive session, according to Sotto.

Ong is currently under the custody of the Senate after he was cited in contempt for evading questions. He was supposed to be transferred to the Pasay City Jail last Friday.

Ong’s planned transfer to the city jail was prompted by his repeated refusal to divulge how much Pharmally has supposedly borrowed from Yang.

According to Gordon, Ong is currently in a “safe house.”

The senator did not disclose further details on Ong’s current location for safety reasons.