No stopping Blue Ribbon from investigating alleged gov’t misuse of pandemic response funds, according to Sotto.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that there’s no stopping the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee from investigating the government’s alleged misuse of pandemic response funds.
Inquirer reported that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Senator Richard Gordon, Sotto said, was expected to come out with its report “in October or September”.
During a press conference with Senator Panfilo Lacson at The Ruins in Talisay City, Negros Occidental last Thursday, Sotto said that any investigation as long as the truth came out will not harm the nation.
According to Sotto, he didn’t see why they should stop the investigation in the Senate when they knew very well that they can’t see how the money was being spent. Senator Lacson then expressed dismay about the “sorry state of our country today”.
“In the middle of a pandemic, some people still have the guts to earn so much money. Our priority should be to attend to our people’s needs,” Senator Lacson said.
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President Duterte has barred Cabinet officials from attending the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings without his approval and also ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida to audit the finances of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) headed by Senator Gordon.
However, Senator Lacson said that the Commission on Audit (COA) couldn’t audit the Philippine Red Cross because it’s not a government entity.
Meanwhile, Senator Lacson and Senate President Sotto started their first tour in the Visayas as they visited Bacolod City and Negros Occidental last September 17.
Both Lacson and Sotto were also optimistic to get the support of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in their bid for president and vice president, respectively, though Sotto has not yet talked to Governor Lacson, who was his party mate.
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