Duterte threatens to withhold budget in spat with senators

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday threatened to withhold the disbursement of funds under next year's national budget after accusing lawmakers of trying to paralyze government with decreased allocations.

Duterte made the remark as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continued its inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the multi-billion-peso purchase of personal protective equipment in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He earlier issued a memorandum preventing government officials including members of his Cabinet from attending the committee hearings.

"You call my memorandum stupid. Well, I challenge you bring your arguments to the proper court and I will answer you. You threaten the budget of the executive because the officials refuse to attend to your hearing," Duterte said in his Talk to the People.

"Ito yung mga pang abuso talaga sa gobyerno pag demokrasya. Itong separation of power, co equal, and they threaten to paralyze government," he added.

"I challenge you. Tingnan mo sigaw-sigawan mo yan… and it will not be good for everybody. Reduce it by one-third. I challenge you, 'wag ka mag-takot. Gawin mo," Duterte said.

"O i-zero budgt mo ang OP (Office of the President). Sige nga gawin mo. Bakit aabot pa 'yang pera ninyo kung hindi magdaan sa akin?  Eh, kung hindi ako mag release," he added.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is probing the Department of Health’s transfer of P42 billion funds to the DBM-PS for the procurement of face masks and face shields at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Duterte has since issued a memorandum preventing officials of the executive branch from attending the committee hearings, saying some executives have been attending the hearings but were not being called.

He has also taken exception to some committee member's remarks on alleged wrongdoing by officials in charge of the procurement of COVID-19 supplies.

As regards committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon, Duterte told him to stop using the issue on Pharmally in aid of election.

"Problema kasi sa Senate natin, trying hard maghanap ng mga issue na may nangungurakot o kaya may nagkakapera but up to now, the committee has not built a case out of the numerous hearings they have conducted," Duterte said.

He reiterated that the medical equipment purchased by the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year were not overpriced.

"Walang overpricing, legal ang naging proseso ng pagbili according to what has been provided by Bayanihan 1. Na-deliver lahat at binayaran pagkatapos ma-deliver," Duterte said. -NB, GMA News