President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday called Sen. Richard Gordon a “double agent” being a senator and chief of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) at the same time, and told him to give up one of the two posts.
“You are a dual personality which is, you know, banned or prohibited by law. Dapat noon pa, dinemanda ka na,” Duterte said during his second “Talk to the People” address this week.
Duterte said under law, government lawyers or Cabinet members should not be an officer of a corporation, company or business entity that has dealings with the government.
“Bawal talaga ‘yan. Bitawan mo na ‘yan kasi I will insist that you give up one because you cannot be both,” the president added.
Duterte threatened to file a case against Gordon for allegedly using Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) funds supposedly allotted to Subic for the PRC.
Of the P140-million PDAF fund, Duterte claimed Gordon pocketed P86 million.
“Sinabi ng COA (Commission on Audit), kinuha mo ‘yang pera mo personally so isauli mo, noong nasa Subic ka pa. Na-senador ka na lang for the longest time, hanggang ngayon hindi mo nasauli ‘yung pera,” the president added.
“So kindly settle, or not, I will personally see to it that a case will be filed against you…It’s malversation. The crime is malversation. Ibig sabihin ginastos mo, binulsa mo ‘yung pera,” he added.
Duterte has been critical of Gordon, the head of the Senate blue ribbon committee, since the latter started investigating the government’s deals with pharmaceutical company Pharmally.
Gordon however has said he was not afraid of Duterte’s “bullying.” John Ezekiel J. Hirro