Inabisuhan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sina Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. at Health Secretary Francisco Duque III na mag-“walk out” sa Senate hearing sakaling may maging “verbally abusive” laban sa dalawang opisyal, giit ng Malacañang noong Martes.

“Secretary Galvez and Secretary Duque – if the Senate hearing will have a hearing this Friday – will be there,” ani Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque sa The Source ng CNN Philippines.

“But with instruction that if anyone becomes verbally abusive to them, they have the license to stand up and leave,” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi rin ni Roque na tinanong ni Galvez kung maaari siyang hindi dumalo sa mga pagdinig sa senado tungkol sa plano ng pamahalaan sa pakikipag-usap sa vaccine developers.

“Secretary Galvez was saying because of the Senate hearings, he has lost two weeks’ worth of negotiations with drug suppliers,” sabi ni Roque.

Dagdag pa nito, “But in fairness to the President, his answer was ‘No, go to the Senate. Continue answering questions, continue in the way the manner you’ve been answering. And if they become abusive to you verbally, just stand up and leave. And if they cite you in contempt, I will come and fetch you.”

Hindi rin umano “maunawaan” ng pangulo kung bakit may “war-like demeanor” ang mga mambabatas sa mga nagdaang pagdinig.

Aniya, “There was like already an attitude as if there was corruption going on when it was fact-finding in fact.”

“So the President thought despite the separation of powers and despite the power of oversight, he does not give the Senators the license to be abusive,” dagdag pa ni Roque.

Pinabulaanan naman ito ni Senate President Tito Sotto.

“Perhaps argumentative but not warlike. Why? Does he expect us to treat our resource persons with tender loving care?” tugon ng Senate President.