Duterte to Gordon, Drilon: I wouldn't have become a president if I'm corrupt

President Rodrigo Duterte once again slammed the senators over the Senate investigation into the government procurement of COVID-19 supplies, saying he wouldn't have won the presidency if he is corrupt.

“‘Wag po kayo magpadala dyan sa mga intriga na ako raw ay abogado (ng Pharmally). Alam ninyo sa totoo lang, Gordon at Drilon, di ako aabot sa presidency, from my mayorship to the presidency kung corrupt ako kagaya ninyo, kung tumatanggap ako ng mga *****ina, ng mga campaign funds d’yan sa mga tao na alam ninyo na gumagawa ng kalokohan kasama ‘yung mga miyembro ng Congress,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded briefing aired Wednesday morning.

(Don’t get swayed by their intrigues, accusing me that I am a lawyer for Pharmally. You know, Gordon and Drilon, I won’t win the presidency, from mayorship to the presidency, if I am corrupt like you, if I am receiving campaign funds from people who do irregularities with the members of Congress.)

“Kayo d’yan ang may butas wala kayong makuha sa amin. It’s not in my system about corruption and money. Ibang bagay siguro masabi mo mayroon ako, pero hindi sa pera,” he added.

(You are the ones who have irregularities there. You can’t get anything from us. It’s not in my system, the corruption and money. You can criticize me about other matters but not about money.)

In a statement, Drilon took exception to the remark of the President, saying he has never been tried by any anti-graft courts in his entire stint as public servant.

“I am not corrupt. I take exception to the statement made by the President. Since I joined the public service in 1986, I have faithfully adhered to the highest moral standards. I have strictly conducted myself within the standards embodied in the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and our anti-graft laws,” the Senate minority leader said.

“My record is clear and my conscience is clean. In my 32 years in public service - nine years in the executive and 23 years in the legislative - I have never been tried for corruption in the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan. I have always endevoured to protect my family name. Aside from the laws that I have authored in my 23 years as senator, all I want to leave as legacy when I retire from politics next year is my good name,” he added.

GMA News Online has also reached out to Gordon for comment on Duterte’s remark but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Personal life

While he maintain that he is not involved in any corruption, Duterte acknowledged that he could be criticized about his personal life.

“My personal life, there are some who would like to criticize me and as a public official I have to accept the criticisms. Pero yung sinasabi niyong pera, ako ang abogado, lumang tugtugin na ‘yan alam mo sa totoo lang I would not be President Duterte kung corrupt ako kagaya ninyo,” he said.

(In terms of money, about being a lawyer, that’s a stale script. To be true, I would not be President Duterte if I am corrupt like you.)

The Senate blue ribbon committee is looking into the transfer of P42 billion COVID-19 funds from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM).

This includes PS-DBM’s purchase of P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and PPEs from Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation, a firm that is being linked to Chinese busineman Michael Yang, Duterte's former economic adviser.

The company only had a P625,000 paid-up capital when it entered transactions with the government.—AOL/RSJ, GMA News