Senator Richard Gordon fired back at President Rodrigo Duterte telling the chief executive to do his “worst” while accusing the president of being a “bully” and lawyering for Chinese businessmen and political appointees embroiled in the controversy.
“Quite frankly, Mr. President, you are boring. ‘Di ako natatakot sa inyo. ‘Di po ako duwag. Do your worst, as you did with the ABS-CBN. Do your worst like what you did to a senator who was elected by the people—I know you will try to do your worst,” Gordon said in his opening speech during Tuesday’s Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s hearing on the government’s pandemic response.
Gordon was alluding to Senator Leila de Lima, jailed in 2017 for her alleged involvement in illegal drug operations at the New Bilibid Prison during her time as Secretary of Justice. She earned the ire of Duterte after the senator condemned the president’s war on drugs in a series of privilege speeches at the Senate.
“I know you will try to do your worst like you did with Speaker (Prospero)Nograles before, when you used ‘P.I.’ to a very very respected schoolmate from Ateneo,” he added.
“Saktan niyo na ako. Akala niyo ba matatakot ninyo ako?…You’re a bully. And I’m sorry Mr. President but the Filipino people can fight back against bullies. Filipinos can have a revolution against bullies,” he added.
“I’m not going to waste my time with you Mr. President because you’re no longer respectable as far as I’m concerned and as far as most of the Filipinos are concerned,” Gordon went on.
Gordon asked Duterte to “start lawyering for the Filipino people” and not waste his public address attacking the Senate.
“Do your job, Mr. President. Why do you spend your time lambasting us?” he said.
“Instead of talking about the pandemic, jobs and unemployment, he decided that he would try to demolish this person as well as even the society (Philippine Red Cross) that I have religiously worked without pay for the last 53 years,” the senator said.
In his latest taped public address aired late Tuesday night, Duterte dared Gordon to answer allegations that he had parked P88 million “pork barrel” funds to the PRC.
He also ordered the Department of Health to look into the alleged “false positive” Covid-19 test results conducted by the Philippine Red Cross.
Duterte warned of “trouble in government” if his Cabinet officials will be detained by the Senate. – Rommel F. Lopez