(File photo)
MANILA – UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque said Friday senators should see to it that issues referred to them for investigation and action should are not left unresolved.
Roque, also a former party-list representative, said Senate investigations should always have an output, either in proposed legislation or at least recommendation to file criminal charges to the Ombudsman.
“Hindi po tayo mag-iimbestiga na walang malalabas na (We won’t investigate if we don’t intend to produce an) output kasi kasama rin naman po ito sa trabaho ng senador, ng Senado (because it is part of the senators’ duties, of the Senate),” Roque said in a statement.
He slammed the investigation on the deal with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation for “not resulting in anything meaningful” on alleged overpricing.
“Ang ayaw ko lang po ‘yung nangyari sa Pharmally. Wala naman lumabas na committee report man lang kasi hindi naman nakakuha ng majority signature mula sa mga senador (I didn’t like what happened with the Pharmally probe. There was no committee report because it didn’t gather the required signatures from the senators),” he said.
Blue Ribbon Committee chair Sen. Richard Gordon said only eight senators signed the committee report on the Pharmally controversy.
Roque said senators who investigated the Pharmally deal only wanted to be popular as they wanted to continue their Senate posts.
As senators, Roque said their job is to investigate in aid of legislation anomalies happening in the country and hoped the next Senate would strictly exercise its monitoring powers to guarantee that public funds are utilized correctly for the people. (PR)
