BY RAYMOND AFRICA and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
SEN. Richard Gordon yesterday told President Duterte that the Senate Blue Ribbon committee investigation is about overpriced medical supplies purchased by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the Department of Health, and is not aimed at the President or his allies.
He said the issue was made public by the Commission on Audit, “a constitutional body,” and the Senate is doing its job to investigate the matter.
Gordon made the statements a day after Duterte made personal attacks against Gordon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, while talking about the COA findings on the DOH alleged mishandling of COVID-19 response funds. Duterte talked about Gordon’s weight and the hairstyle of Lacson.
Gordon, in an interview with radio dzBB, said he was wondering why the President has resorted to personal attacks when he should have instead ordered an investigation on the allegations that the PS-DBM under Lloyd Christopher Lao purchased overpriced medical supplies through a shady pharmaceutical company.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the opposition senators are getting “desperate” for continuing to raise issues against the administration like the overpriced personal protective equipment (PPE).
Roque said this may be the way of the opposition to ensure that their candidates in the 2022 elections would not suffer the fate of the “Otso Diretso” senatorial candidates in 2016 when majority of the bets lost in the polls.
After Duterte’s attacks on Gordon and Lacson, Roque picked a fight with Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, telling the opposition senator to explain the PPE units purchased by his allies in the previous administration, which he said were more expensive compared to the ones bought by the Duterte government.
“Alam niyo po, sabi nila, kapag ikaw nagduro, apat na daliri ang nakaturo sa inyo. Ganyan po ang nangyari doon sa ‘di umano overpriced PPE (You know, when you point your finger at someone, the other four are pointed back at you. That’s what happened with the supposed overpriced PPE),” he said.
Drilon slammed Roque, saying the spokesman was trying to divert the issue.
“Spoken like a true troll. It’s very unmanly and desperate for Roque to even mention my name. It is very malicious and it is a futile attempt to divert attention from this organized plunder,” Drilon said.
He said Roque should instead find out the backers of those involved in the anomalous purchase of face masks, face shields, and PPE units.
“ Ang ituro na lang ni Roque, sino ba ang backer ni Lao? Sino ang backer ng Pharmally? (Roque should instead answer — Who is Lao’s backer? Who is the backer of Pharmally)?” he added.
Drilon earlier said he sees “premeditated plunder” with how the PS-DBM handled the DOH’s P42-billion COVID response funds.
Drilon was referring to the P42 billion of the more than P67 billion COVID response funds which was flagged by COA due to mismanagement, and which was later transferred to the PS-DBM.
All the questionable PS-DBM procurement of medical supplies needed by the DOH happened during Lao’s time as budget undersecretary. Lao resigned last June.
Drilon said what was puzzling him was why Lao was still appointed PS-DBM head when the latter had been charged with extortion by socialized housing developers when he was still chief executive officer and commissioner of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.
He said that days after President Duterte declared the country under a state of national emergency due to the pandemic on March 16, 2020, the Government Procurement Policy Board issued a resolution that said face masks and PPE units be included in the list of common used supplies, which will allow the PS-DBM to purchase them for a government agency.
As a result, Drilon said, the DOH started to transfer its P42 billion funds to the PS-DBM by March 27 of last year.
Gordon said the Senate Blue Ribbon committee will not be intimidated with Duterte’s tirades as he will push through with the next hearing on September 7.
He said he asked Senate President Vicente Sotto III if they can issue hold departure orders for the main players in the overpriced purchase, since he got information that Lao and the others are planning to get our of the country.
Gordon said Sotto welcomed the idea.
He also cautioned Duterte against pushing through with his plan not allow members of his Cabinet or the armed forces to attend Senate hearings.
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee initially investigated the mishandled P67 billion COVID-19 but later trained its sights on the PS-DBM after the overpriced face masks and face shields procured were unearthed.
Lao, who is also from Davao, has been in hot water after it was learned by the senators that the deals happened in the PS-DBM under his watch.
Senators also said Lao was able to land a job as PS-DBM head reportedly on the backing of Sen. Christopher Go.
Go has denied this. Lao is from Davao like Go and President Duterte.
Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao said he will immediately act if a complaint is filed against Go before the Senate ethics committee which he chairs.
Gordon on Tuesday said a complaint can be filed against Go because of his alleged links to Lao.
Gordon said the complaint against Go is backed by at least four senators.
“As chairman of the ethics committee, kung may mga reklamo po na mai-submit sa committee ko, marapat lamang na aksyunan, (As chairman of the ethics committee, if there is a complaint filed before my committee, I will have to act on it),” Pacquiao said in an interview with ANC.
Pacquiao and Go belong to the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, which has split in two factions — one led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and the other led by Pacquiao and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.
Pacquiao aid he hopes Go will not be “offended” by the possible probe.
For his part, Go said he welcomes a possible ethics probe as he is not hiding anything.
Roque, National Task Force against COVID-19 chief Carlito Galvez Jr. and NTF deputy Vince Dizon defended the government’s procurement of PPE units and reiterated these were not overpriced.
They said the government’s emergency procurement of pandemic supplies was consistent with the government procurement act, relevant procurement issuances, and the Bayanihan Act.
Galvez said the government considered which company could provide the needed volume of quality PPE units at the fastest time and lowest price possible.
Roque said the quality, quantity and price were considered in the purchase not the company or personality of the supplier was considered.
