THE Senate Blue Ribbon Committee appears to have struck the big issue to prove that the Duterte administration's fight against corruption is a farce. And President Rodrigo Duterte's efforts to discredit the Senate probers indicate that the Palace is in panic mode, attempting to abort a deeper investigation into the P8.7-billion procurement contract with a company with 'questionable' qualifications.

The committee, chaired by Sen. Richard 'Dick' Gordon, is investigating Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.'s supply of P8.68-billion worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies for the Department of Health (DoH).