Bong Go tells Duque: You can make 'supreme sacrifice'

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Friday advised Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to make the "supreme sacrifice when the right time comes."

Go made the statement during the resumption of the Senate hearing on the report of the Commission on Audit on the deficiencies of the Department of Health in handling COVID-19 response funds worth over P67 billion.

“My word of advice is make the supreme sacrifice when the right time comes. For now, may hearing naman tayo dito sa Blue Ribbon Committee clear yourself and address COA’s findings,” Go told Duque, who was attending the hearing online.

“Mahal ka ng Pangulo at ipinaglalaban ka rin niya, desisyon mo na ‘yan pagdating ng panahon but my advice is make the supreme sacrifice alang-alang sa mga kababayan nating Pilipino," he added.

"Naawa na rin ako kay Pangulong Duterte, pinapasan na po niya ang mundo at lahat ng problema,” Go said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson pressed Go if was asking Duque to resign.

"Did Senator Go just ask Secretary Duque to resign when he told him to make the sacrifice?" Lacson said.

"Mr. Chair and Senator Ping, advice lang po 'yung sa akin," Go said.

Go said it was important for the health officials to clear their names especially amid since all have been working hard amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response, Duque said he was ready to resign when it was time.

“I have been attending all these hearings both in the House and the Senate with one goal in mind: That is for me and for the DOH to clear all of these COA  observations and findings and deficiencies,” Duque said.

“We want to clear everything. So if the time comes when I will need to resign, I will. It’s no problem with me," he added.

In a recent Talk to the People, President Rodrigo Duterte indicated that he still had no reason to fire Duque.

Duterte, however, said that he would accept if Duque resigned voluntarily.  —AOL/NB, GMA News