An irate President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday badmouthed senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson with insults about their physical appearances after they grilled his allies linked to crooked spending of pandemic funds.
In a public address aired on Tuesday, Duterte slammed the senators for “showing off” and nudged Filipinos to not reelect arrogant politicians.
“Hindi ako namumulitika. Pero huwag ninyong paniwalaan kaagad ‘yang sinasabi diyan sa Kongreso lalo na ‘yang mga congressman. Puro daldal lang
‘yan,” the president said.
“Para lang makaporma, para lang makaporma kasi eleksyon na…Huwag ninyong ibalik sa Senado
kasi magdaldal nang magdaldal na rin ‘yan at mag-show off, parang magyabang,” he added.
He then singled out Gordon, whom he called a “talkathon champion” in reference to the Blue Ribbon committee’s seven-hour hearing about the Department of Health’s (DOH) handling of P67.3 billion pandemic response funds.
“Lahat puro daldal. Kanya ang tanong, kanya ‘yung sagot, at siya magsabi kung mali ka o hindi…Ilang beses na ‘yan manood kayo, kayong Pilipino matagal na kayo eh nanonood kayo, ganyan si Gordon. Gordon is Gordon,” Duterte said.
The president also told Gordon to lose weight.
“Iba ka, adre. Ang advice ko sa iyo magpapayat ka muna para medyo… Nalilipong ako ‘pag tinitingnan kita. P***** i**. Huwag mong putulin ‘yan ha. Totoo ‘yan. Pati ‘yung buhok mo ngayon iba na ang hinapay. Lahat kayo pati si Ping (Lacson) iba ang hairdo,” he said.
Duterte also threatened to expose the dishonesty of Lacson.
“Tanungin ko si Panfilo Lacson, are you honest? Answer me truthfully, are you honest? Kung magsabi ka ‘yes,’ sasagutin kita next program, may ipakita ako,” he said.
Gordon, Lacson respond
In response, Gordon said only weak people resort to personal attacks.
“You know why I forgive you? Because you go into personal attacks. That’s fine with me. Alam ko mahina ang tao na nagaatake personal,” he said.
“Sabi nga against corruption siya…so I’m following his dictum. Dapat, ‘pag may corrupt labanan. Wala pa naman tayong sinasabing corruption. Nag-iimbestiga tayo. The nature of the blue ribbon is to investigate,” Gordon added.
Lacson, in a statement, said the president was visibly in “panic mode” as anomalies committed by his allies were being exposed.
“It is not difficult to think that he is in panic mode and is attempting, as he has already done earlier, to discourage the Senate from pursuing our investigation in the highly anomalous procurement of overpriced medical supplies that is starting to knock on the doors of Malacañang,” Lacson said.
“The Senate will not flinch on this one. There is a lot more to discover and pursue so that all those responsible for this abominable crime against the Filipino people who continue to suffer amid the pandemic will be exposed and charged in court at the proper time,” Lacson added. John Ezekiel J. Hirro