MANILA (UPDATE) - Senator Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he will take action if a complaint against Senator Christopher "Bong" Go would be filed before the Senate ethics committee, which he chairs.

At least 4 senators are in favor of investigating Go's links with former officials who were tagged in the questionable purchase of COVID-19 supplies, Senator Richard Gordon earlier said.

These include Budget Undersecretary Christopher Lao and former economic adviser Michael Yang, who heads Pharmally Pharmaceuticals from which government allegedly brought overpriced medical supplies.

• 4 senators back probe on Go's links in Pharmally deal: Gordon

"As chairman of ethics committee, kung may mga reklamo po na mai-submit sa committee ko po, mararapat lamang na aksyunan ko po," Pacquiao told ANC's Headstart.

(As chairman of ethics committee, if there's a complaint submitted to my committee, it's only right I take action.)

"Dapat pong tanungin kasi nililink po ang pangalan niya kay Christopher Lao at mabigay ng linaw ang taumbayan kung sino si Christopher Lao at ano ang relasyon niya kay Senator Go."

(We should ask him because his name is being linked to Christopher Lao and the public should know who he is and his relationship to Senator Go.)

Go earlier confirmed that Lao was a "volunteer election lawyer" during President Rodrigo Duterte's 2016 campaign.

• Bong Go denies ties to ex-DBM official linked to P42-billion DOH fund transfer

He denied that Lao, who was assigned to different posts in the Presidential Management Staff, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and Department of Budget and Management, was a former member of his staff.

"Lao did not directly report to me nor did he ever serve as my aide... To call him such is inaccurate," Go said in a statement.

Pacquiao said he hopes Go would not be "offended" by questions related to Lao.

"Ginagampanan lang ang tungkulin namin para mabigyan ng clarification ang lahat ng issue in aid of legislation," he said.

(We're only doing our duty to clarify very issue in aid of legislation.)

• Duterte defends trader with alleged ties to pandemic supplier

Pacquiao also said Duterte should not defend erring officials.

"'Di po dapat magalit ang ating Pangulo dahil 'di namin siya kinakalaban, tungkulin namin to investigate in aid of legislation," he said.

(The President should not be mad because he's not our enemy, it's our duty to investigate in aid of legislation.)

"Dapat po ang ating Pangulo 'di po siya masyadong defensive sa kanyang mga tao na gumagawa ng kalokohan, lalo na itong corruption dahil sa corruption tayo ay naghihirap."

(The President should not be too defensive of his erring officials, especially those engaged in corruption because it's what makes us poor.)

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