MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go have a heated verbal exchange during the interpellation of the latter’s several hospital expansion bills to be shouldered by the national government.
During a session on Thursday night, Go attempted to terminate the debates on his Senate bills and accused the Ilonggo senator of “deliberately delaying the bills’ passage.”
“Sorry to tell you, you’re pretending that you are not against but really, you are against,” Go lashed out at the Ilonggo senator.
With the ongoing health pandemic, Go said the passage of his bill will address the needs for more available hospital beds.
“Paikot-ikot lang po [ang] usapan dito. Sinasadya lang po nating patagalin… Dapat po tayong magkaisa para sa kapakanan po ng Pilipino,” he added.
Drilon, however, was quick to object to Go’s motion to terminate the debate since it is the Senate’s policy to interpellate as part of check and balance.
“I resent and I take strong exception to the statement na pinapatagal ko ito. Implying that there is no other reason for the questions that we raised except for the desire to delay it. Totally uncalled for,” the Ilonggo said.
Drilon expressed concern over the financial ability of the national government to cough up funding given the effects of the pandemic.
“I am concerned about the finances of this government. Wala na ngang pera, wala na ngang collection,” he said.
In the end, the Senate agreed to table Go’s bills which seek the renationalization and expansion of public hospitals for the senators to iron out any policy concerns they may have./PN
