In their second bout, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon once again made Sen. Bong Go make a run for his money after he pointed that it was Go’s fault why the hospital bills were delayed.
Drilon, during Tuesday’s plenary, refuted the claim of Go that he was merely delaying the passage of the bills which would result, if passed, renationalizing or improving hospital bed capacity, among others, of local hospitals in different parts of the Philippines.
The minority leader revealed that he studied Senate records and discovered that the bills were already, as early as 2020, in Go’s Health and Demographics committee which the senator chairs.
“Mr. President, because of this statement, I examined the records and to my surprise, I found out that these measures we have been debating on have been pending in the Senate for 15 months,” said Drilon.
Last week, Go tried to appeal to other senators, insisting that they pass the bills as soon as possible.
“Tulungan na lang po natin ang ating kapwa Pilipino. Kawawang-kawa po talaga sila, at alam na alam ko po ‘yun dahil halos linggo-linggo, halos araw-araw po ako bumababa sa mga kababayan nating mahihirap. Witness po ako diyan. I’m begging you po, ‘wag ‘nyong pabayaan ang ating mga kababayan, Mr. President,” said Go.
But with Drilon’s revelation that the “delay” in the passage of the bills points towards Go, several personalities and Netizens have concluded that the senator’s previous “emotional” speech backfired big time.
At plenary, Sen. Bong Go insinuates that Sen. Franklin Drilon's interpellation is delaying bills to increase public hospitals' bed capacities.
It backfires – turns out the bills lay pending in Go's committee for 15 months.
Interpellation, btw, is an essential part of lawmaking.
— JC Gotinga (@JCGotinga) May 25, 2021
ANC broadcaster, Christian Esguerra, highlighted how Go appeared to have escaped from a sticky situation when Drilon asked him if he intentionally delayed the passage of the bills.
Go retracted his previous statement by saying, “Now I am convinced Mr. President that you are willing to help this measures to be passed.”
Deer in the headlights trying to wing it https://t.co/stFv6csmTb
— Christian Esguerra (@IanEsguerra) May 27, 2021
A Twitter personality pointed that those who know better were not even surprised that Go would like just to make himself appear as the victim in this interpellation.
Well, we are not at all surprised that Go decided to play his dishonesty card to play victim. We know better, Go. https://t.co/Fi3XUeonf1
— Prim Paypon (@primpaypon) May 26, 2021
Furthermore, in 2020, during a committee hearing conducted by Go’s panel, Health Undersecretary Lilibeth David already asserted that the passage of the bills is not possible due to a lack of funding from the national government.
According to Drilon, David explained that the only way to allocate money to the bills is if it becomes law within 2020.
As a result, writer Jerry Grácio concluded that the senator who let the bills stay idle for 15 months is “lazy and stupid”, just like Duterte.
So, nag-propose ng bill si Bong Goo, ni-refer sa Committee on Health na siya ang chair, walang ginawa ang committee niya ng halos 1 year, tapos ngayon nagmamadali siya na maipasa ang bill at sinisisi si Drilon? Tamad at tanga si Bong Goo, pareho ng kanyang pangulo.
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) May 26, 2021
A Twitter personality concluded that Sen. Go is not the right person to ask about Senate Bills since the senator proved his lack of knowledge about the matter. However, if Go, who is also the presidential aide of Duterte, would be asked about the President’s secrets and sickness, the senator is the ideal person to inquire.
Kapag mga senate bills huwag ninyong tanungin si Bong GaGo. Walang alam iyan. Nakalimutan nga senador siya.
Tanungin niyo siya tungkol sa mga sakit at sikreto ni INUTIL. Diyan marami siyang alam. Julalay nga di ba. https://t.co/YlC3IXiyLD
— LAHING 🇵🇭 PINOYℹ️ (@lahingpnoy) May 26, 2021
A netizen also concurred stressing that Go was busy with his photo ops inside ambulances. He is referring to the time when the senator posed for a picture while a patient is badly needing medical attention.
Exactly. He's busy posing for pics inside ambulances. https://t.co/e5MTH9H2uR
— Albert C. Lim 🇵🇭 (@limbertqc) May 26, 2021
Former Bayan Muna congressman Teddy Casiño asserted that the reason why Go failed to focus on the bills was that he was busy being the President’s aide.
Because the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Bong Go, was too busy being Duterte’s photographer and special assistant that his committee was unable to act on his own bill. https://t.co/kj5dZbEepX
— Teddy Casiño (@teddycasino) May 26, 2021
A netizen was infuriated with Go’s attempt to twist the narrative and blame the senators for delaying the bills when in fact, it was his incompetence that the bills were being tackled this 2021 instead of last year.
Inupuan for 15months tapos ngayon biglang minamadaling ipasa? Tas binabaliktad pa ang mga totoong Senador? Galawang kupal ang animal na @SAPBongGo. https://t.co/OV0pAJ2K2k
— Pepc Paloma (@Pepsicollagen) May 26, 2021
Meanwhile, a netizen claimed that the reason why Go is urging the Senate to pass his sponsored bills is that he was waiting for the perfect time, which is now, to make his boss (Duterte) appear good to the public.
https://twitter.com/jovs_esmilla/status/1397461831074029572
In the first round of their face-off, Drilon schooled Go as the former asked the latter if he knew the Mandanas ruling, causing the senator to turn to his staff for answers.
