President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida to ask the Commission on Audit (COA) to examine the books of the Philippine Red Cross.

"I am ordering SolGen Calida to write (COA Chairman Michael) Aguinaldo a letter, to ask Aguinaldo to conduct immediately an audit of the Red Cross," Duterte said during his pre-taped Talk to The People aired on Thursday morning.

"The next step would really be a letter to be delivered to the COA by Solicitor General Calida regarding my request to audit the Red Cross," he added.

Contrary to his previous statement, Duterte allowed Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and National Task Force against Covid-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to continue to attend the Senate hearing on the purchases of Covid-19 response supplies.

"I want Sec. Duque and Sec. Galvez to finish their story they already started it, if they still have anything to ask you go back there," he said.

"But for others and in the future, I'm sorry I will be the one who will say (go to Congress or do not go to Congress) to testify or if you say you will be held in contempt. I will not let anybody arrest you, that is a guarantee," he added.

It can be recalled that in his previous Talk to the People, Duterte ordered his cabinet members to clear with him any possible invitation to attend the Senate hearing. Robina Asido/DMS