Duterte says no way he will withdraw order for Executive officials to shun Senate hearings

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday stood firm on his order for Executive department officials to ignore Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry into the reported overpriced COVID-19 supply procurement.

During his pre-recorded Talk to the People, Duterte was praising vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. who reported that almost 1 million vaccines were being delivered daily to the country.

He then took a swipe at senators who are inviting Galvez and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in the Senate hearing into the Pharmally mess.

"Yan ang sinasabi ko, instead of spending your time there sitting down with nothing to do, hindi naman kayo pinapatawag to talk, pinapatawag kayo dun para umupo lang. Then you see these things arriving almost daily. Ikaw yung czar vaccines,"  Duterte said.

"Itong hindi nalaman ng Senado, tawag nang tawag nang walang kakwenta kwenta, kabalastugan na nga ito," he added.

He also frowned on criticisms of senators on his memorandum barring his Cabinet men from attending the hearing, adding that he will not withdraw the said order.

"Gusto ko dalhin nila sa Korte Suprema. Itong pinapawithdraw nilang order ko. P****, yung prohibiting people from Executive department from testifying. There ain't no way I will withdraw it," he said.

"You can do your worst, I can do mine. Kayo nag umpisa nito," he further pointed out.

In response, Galvez approved of the President's order, adding that they were emotional as they are finally doing their jobs in the pandemic response.

"Nagpapasalamat ang DOH, naging emotional kami ni Sec Duque, doon sa vaccination site sa Clark. Parang first time ulit namin magawa yung minamahal naming gawan," Galvez told Duterte.

"Tuwang tuwa po sila (DOH) sa ginawa ninyo po sir, kasi sabi nila ito yung minamahal naming trabaho at wala kaming tinatawag na distraction," he added.

Further, Galvez said the legislators allegedly failed to see their determination to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

"'Yun po di nakikita ng Senado e na yung tinatawag nating pressure na yung tao ng DOH... na parang tayo nagpaplunder," he said.—LDF, GMA News