Duterte to Gordon: “I will personally see to it that a case would be filed against you”
DUTERTE VS GORDON – The country’s president threatened to file malversation charges against the incumbent senator over SBMA and PDAF funds.
The chief executive claimed that the senator has yet to return around P140 million which had been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) during his term as the chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Gordon served as its chairperson from 1992 to 1998.
He also accused the current chairman and CEO Philippine Red Cross of allegedly pocketing P86 million of his previous Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) given to the PRC.
Aside from that, Duterte also urged to give up one of his posts. He stressed that it’s illegal for him to be the chairman of the PRC at the same time a senator.
Meanwhile, this is the second time this week that the president mentioned the senator and PRC in his “Talk to the Nation.”
President Duterte told COA on Monday, September 20 to audit the finances of the humanitarian organization.
But COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo stressed that the state auditors have no jurisdiction over PRC since it is not a government agency. In fact, the PRC board of governors declared through a statement that it does not receive any funds from the government.
Duterte also claimed that the PRC has committed errors multiple times in terms of conducting COVID-19 tests in the Philippines.
The president has been verbally attacking Gordon since the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee started to investigate former Presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and former Budget Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao for the allegedly anomalous procurement of overpriced pandemic supplies.
As of posting, Gordon has yet to issue any statement regarding the latest allegations of Duterte.
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