President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered the collection of P140 million from Sen. Richard Gordon, an amount he claimed was misused during the latter’s term as Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman.
In a “Talk to the People” address, Duterte directed the Office of the Solicitor General to nudge the Commission on Audit (COA) to collect the amount from Gordon.
“I am now asking the Solicitor General to formally ask COA to act on the disallowance and remind them of their constitutional duty to collect the P140 million as stated in the demand letter of SBMA chairperson and administrator [Wilma] Eisma dated August of this year,” Duterte said.
Duterte claimed P86 million of funds attributable to Gordon had yet to be returned.
“How many years have passed? Ngayon, hindi mo pa nabayaran. Ang dapat niyan the case is actually disallowance ang tawag niyan sa COA. ‘Pag hindi mo nabayaran within the period demanded of you, then it becomes your personal liability and the case go to the Ombudsman—ang tawag niyan malversation. You malverse the money,” he said.
“So saan na ‘yung pera? Mr. Gordon, you are appearing all white because you have painted everybody black there. So ikaw na ‘yung lumabas na puti. What now? Please answer me. Anong nangyari dito sa kaso mo?” he added.
Duterte has been slinging mud against Gordon since the Senate blue ribbon committee started conducting an investigation on Pharmally.
Duterte has called the probe a witch hunt meant to stain his administration’s name. John Ezekiel J. Hirro