Go appears before Senate
MANILA — A close aide of President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday appeared before the Senate with many of the president’s men in tow, denying allegations that he interfered in a multibillion Philippine Navy contract aimed at modernizing its depleted fleet of ships.
Accompanying Christopher “Bong” Go to a hearing of the Senate panel on national defense and security were presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre III, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Solicitor General Jose Calida.
This prompted Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero to ask who was with the chief executive if the president’s men were in the Senate to show support to his longtime aide.
“Who’s currently with the president? Who’s with him in the house?” Escudero said in jest to the laughter of those present in the Senate.
Go is facing the Senate to clear his name of allegations that he intervened in the Navy’s acquisition of a combat management system to be installed on the two frigates it is acquiring from Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The special assistant to the president denied dipping his hand in the P15.7 billion contract to favor a South Korean firm as the supplier of the frigates’ CMS.
“I am innocent, and I was dragged into this controversy to besmirch the Duterte administration,” Go said in Filipino during the panel hearing.
The presidential aide also alleged that he was being probed for “endorsing a complaint to the proper agency,” referring to the document that South Korea’s Hanwha submitted to his office which he then forwarded to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Lorenzana has cleared Go of allegations that he tried to intervene on behalf of one company and said that the chief of the presidential management staff was merely forwarding documents to concerned agencies.
“I did not intervene in the acquisition of the two frigates by DND nor interfere in the selection of its combat management system,” Go said.