PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday do not yet want to raise a white flag on his word war against Senator Richard Gordon.
He further ordered the latter to allow the conduct of investigation against alleged corruption towards the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), the humanitarian organization that Gordon leads.
In his pre-recorded “Talk to the People” nation address aired Saturday morning, Duterte asked Gordon to let the Commission on Audit (COA) examine the financial records of the PRC, following the hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee spearheaded by Gordon to investigate the national government’s procurement of medical supplies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Either you submit to an auditing procedure or we quarrel. ‘Pag mag-quarrel, do your worse because I will do mine,” Duterte stated.
“I’m sure I will find plenty of [wrong]…basta plenty when we start with you, Senator Gordon,” he continued.
The President moreover threatened that he would be forced to cut ties with the organization, should Gordon refuse to permit state auditors from assessing its financial documents.
“Ngayon, kung ayaw mo, mapipilitan akong [to] totally disassociate with you. I will stop the national government and all from having transactions with you in any manner,” Duterte warned.
The PRC, with the support of critics, earlier opposed the chief executive’s call for a state audit as it is considered an “independent, autonomous, nongovernment organization (NGO) auxiliary to the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines in the Humanitarian Field” enshrined in Republic Act 10072.
The Palace, however, refuted that in Article 9 of the 1987 Constitution “such non-governmental entities receiving subsidy or equity, directly or indirectly, from or through the Government” are required to submit to such audit.
“If it (Red Cross) is totally independent, you are correct. But it is not totally independent because you have been receiving aid, financial aid, from the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte reiterated in his recent briefing.
“Now, any money belonging to the Republic of the Philippines given to an agency, whatever be the nature, if you’re operating here, and you’re receiving money and spend it, you are accountable to the government and therefore an audit is in order,” he added.
Duterte insisted that he will write letters for Gordon and COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo as a request to scrutinize the PRC’s transactions where money is involved.