Bato slams Senate blue ribbon’s prolonged hearings: Sumobra na, over the limit

Screenshot from Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s interview with Senate reporters. Screengrab / File photo

MANILA, Philippines— Instead of prolonging its probe, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Tuesday urged the Senate blue ribbon committee to come up with a report and recommendation against those involved in the allegedly anomalous deals with the government.

The blue ribbon committee headed by Senator Richard Gordon has so far conducted 13 hearings on the government’s purchase of pandemic-related items. It is set to hold another hearing this Thursday.

But for Dela Rosa, who is eyeing the presidency next year, conducting further hearings on the issue is “very unnecessary.”

“The same people keep on asking the same question, pabalik-balik na e dalawa, tatlong hearings yan tapos na dapat yan,” he said over CNN Philippines.

(The same people keep asking the same question, they keep on repeating their questions, we could have wrapped this up after just two to three hearings.)

“Kung gusto mo talagang kunin ang katotohanan kung may makukuha kang katotohanan ay mag submit ka na ng committee report para kasuhan ang dapat kasuhan. Kung meron kang nakitang nag violate ng batas, kasuhan na natin.”

(If you really want the truth, then just submit a committee report and file appropriate charges. If there’s a violation in the law, then let’s file cases.)

“Hindi na yung pahahabain pa ng ganun katagal na wala na ang mga tao, nagsasawa na, wala ng ganang manood sa hearing mo dahil somobra na, over the limit,” he added.

(Let’s not prolong it since people are getting tired of watching your hearing because it’s already too much, it’s over the limit.)

The panel has already released its partial report on its probe, recommending possible charges against Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executives, former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and former procurement head Christopher Lloyd Lao.

In one of the panel’s hearings, Dela Rosa also recalled getting annoyed when he and Senator Francis Tolentino came to the Senate early but they were made to wait long before asking their questions to the resource persons.

The agreement, he said, was to prioritize those physically present in the hearing.

“E nabwisit nga ako dahil alas 8:00 pa kami dun sa building, taas ako nang taas ng kamay, hindi man ako tinatawag,” he said.

(I got annoyed because we were in the building at 8 and I kept raising my hand, but I was never recognized.)

“Ang tinatawag ni Senator Gordon yung puro mga taga opposition…pabalik balik lang at saka yung mga nakalista dun na malalim sa listahan, yun ang tinatawag nya. Sina Risa Hontiveros, Senator Pangilinan pabalik-balik at kami na nandun hindi tinatawag, yun nga medyo nainis ako but ok lang yun sa akin…”

(Sen. Gordon was only calling those in the opposition. He kept calling those at the bottom of the list. Senators Risa Hontiveros and Pangilinan were called several times but not us there, so I was slightly annoyed, but it’s OK with me.)

While he said he would still wait for the panel’s findings, Dela Rosa said he is relying on Commission on Audit (COA) chairman Michael Aguinaldo’s statement that there was no corruption on the government’s deals.

“Hindi ko pinapangunahan, kung may makita man yung commitee ni Senator Gordon na kamalian, then by all means sabi ko nga submit the committee report then file kaagad ang mag kaso kaukulang kaso dyan sa mga involved na yan kung meron man,” he said.

(I’m not preempting [the report], if the committee of Senator Gordon finds something wrong, then by all means, as I said, submit a report then immediately file cases against those involved.)