Sen. Richard J. Gordon's Statement on Duterte's latest threat

What is he afraid of?

The President's incessant and vicious attacks on me can only be interpreted that he is so afraid that the Senate investigation will reach the doors of his official residence once we release our partial interim report.

Last night, what we saw is a wild man threatening those who seek the truth behind the massive corruption plaguing his administration. He desperately tries to hide his fear because our people are now realizing how they have been fooled all these years.

I cannot, however, allow you to intimidate me or anyone of us. When you threaten to harm any member of the Senate in our performance of our sworn duties, you attack and undermine the Senate as an institution mandated to check your excesses and abuses. Unlike you, we owe our loyalty to those people who voted for us.

No amount of tantrums and threats will ever distract us from pursuing our investigation on who profited from the taxpayers' money meant to provide ayuda for our people, buy our vaccines, build more hospitals, save our jobs, and bail us out of recession.

Mr. Duterte, go out to where our people are suffering, looking for jobs, are getting sick, and their loved ones dying due to the pandemic. Instead of defending and protecting your men who have no qualms flaunting their luxurious lifestyle, focus on the resolving the impact of the pandemic and the corruption to our people.

Mr. Duterte, it is not a fight between us. Why are you so fixated on me? If you are bothered with your waning popularity, you should look around and maybe, you might find the answers. Even if you go low, I will never stoop down to your level. It is when you intimidate us that you show your own weakness.