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MIRIAM SLAMS COLLEAGUES; SEES "DELIBERATE BOYCOTT" OF PUNO
PROBE
[PHOTO FROM INQUIRER- "Pointless" to further question former
Interior Undersecretary Rico E. Puno, says his inquisitor Sen. Miriam Santiago
on the latter's alleged links to illegal logging, "jueteng," and the purchase of
overpriced firearms during a Senate inquiry on Friday. Also at the hearing are
PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome (center) and retired Archbishop Oscar
Cruz. INQUIRER, RAFFY LERMA]
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 (PHILSTAR) Sen. Miriam
Defensor-Santiago yesterday accused some of her colleagues of bootlicking
President Aquino and his allies for their own interest in next year's elections.
Santiago criticized Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, whom she described as
wanting to be in the good graces of Malacañang to help boost the senatorial bid
of his son, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile Jr.
"They favored Malacañang, because some of the senators have vested interest
in the coming elections. Because it would be difficult for them to go against
the administration. If possible, they would have to do some favors for the
administration whether you belong to the ruling political party or not,"
Santiago said in a radio interview with dzBB.
Santiago headed the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision
of codes and laws, in the hearing last Friday to "evaluate" the powers of
resigned Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary
Rico Puno.
"If you cannot put yourself or your son... or if you are already graduating
from the Senate and you wanted a position in the government, of course you have
to do some favors for Malacañang," she said.
[PHOTO FROM INQUIRER -NOT QUITE BALLISTIC Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago
appears to be imploring the heavens as she grills former Interior Undersecretary
Rico E. Puno who issues nothing but blanket denials during the Senate inquiry.
Most of Santiago's colleagues did not show up. Only Senators Alan Peter Cayetano
and Aquilino Pimentel III did. RAFFY
LERMA]
Santiago said a majority of the senators were reluctant to face the challenge
of looking into Puno's powers and backers "because they know he is close to
President Aquino" because they both came from Tarlac.
Puno is also allied with Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, the senator
noted.
"It looks as if you are challenging Malacañang if you are supporting the
investigation against Puno... that's why I ask them in English, 'What's there
not to like about me? We are all senators'," Santiago said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson is on his second and last term, and he would vie possibly
for a government post in the Aquino Cabinet once his term ends in May next year,
Santiago said.
Lacson said it was not in his character to lobby for posts, even during the
time of former President Joseph Estrada.
Lacson pointed out he and other senators, including Enrile, were concerned
that the Senate rules are followed to the letter to avoid any legal issues once
the hearing is questioned before the Supreme Court.
Santiago said she is disappointed over Malacañang's effort to exert influence
on some Cabinet members and some senators to derail the hearing she scheduled
without the benefit of a resolution or a privilege speech last Friday.
The hearing proceeded as scheduled last Friday after two senators arrived to
constitute a quorum.
Santiago was angered by the way Enrile and Lacson questioned the legality of
the public hearing due to lack of a resolution and/or a privilege speech.
"While will I be defensive when I am being attacked by my fellow senators,
not Malacañang," she asked.
Santiago noted only two lawmakers attended the Friday hearing, Senate
Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.
Both attended the hearing, which Santiago said, was made apparently to boost
their bids in next year's national elections.
While the two senators want to side with the administration, Santiago said
the public exposure of the hearing will help Cayetano and Pimentel in their
re-election bids.
Television is the most effective medium of reaching out to the people, she
said.
"Now you weigh (these circumstances), even if you are independent-minded, you
will think that the administration will not take you at fault (for attending the
hearing) because we should be allowed to exercise our freedom of conscience,"
she said.
Santiago though admitted she pleaded with Cayetano and Pimentel, her former
student, to attend last Friday's hearing.
But even without Cayetano and Pimentel, Santiago said she would still have
continued the hearing on Puno.
"The only thing (that) can stop me is to have me shot or shipped to the
International Criminal Court (ICC). But they cannot do that because they do not
have jurisdiction over ICC."
Santiago had been appointed as ICC judge early this year but she has
requested to be called to duty by next year.
Further pressed for message to her critics, Santiago added: "Die!" before she
burst into laughter during a radio interview yesterday where she revealed her
disappointment over the alleged attempt to sabotage last Friday's hearing on
Puno.
No House probe on Puno
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II explained yesterday that the
House does not intend to duplicate the Senate inquiry on Puno.
"Following tradition and as a matter of courtesy to the Senate, we had no
plan to repeat what they started, in the same way that they don't repeat our
inquiries," Gonzales said.
As the official trafficking the business of the House, Gonzales said in
addition that he has not given clearance to any inquiry into the PNP firearms
deals.
"In the first place, there is no proposed investigation to clear. I have not
seen the supposed resolution on the PNP procurements allegedly filed," he said.
"Besides, the House has no time for this inquiry, even if they formally ask
for it, or for any other probe. We are focused on the proposed P2-trillion 2013
national budget," Gonzales pointed out.
He said they expect to approve the budget proposal on second reading this
week before the first two-week congressional recess starting on Saturday.
Gonzales said the spending bill would be printed during the break and put to
a third and final-reading vote when session resumes middle of October. – Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz
FROM GMA NEWS7
Miriam sees colleagues' 'deliberate boycott' of Puno probe
KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA News September 13, 2012 7:12pm
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday expressed fear that the
investigation on resigned Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno is in danger of
being "sabotaged" for lack of quorum and the absence of Puno himself.
"If it happens, such a deliberate boycott will indicate that even my fellow
senators who are members of my committee do not support my initiative," she said
in a statement.
Santiago threatened to "raise a protest" although she admitted she's still
"thinking at the moment of what form my protest will take."
Santiago had called the investigation in her capacity as chair of the Senate
committee on Constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws. No
resolutions had been filed calling for such an investigation, prompting the
Senate leadership to study its validity.
Attendance
Santiago said when her staff contacted all the members of her committee, not
a single senator confirmed attendance. Many of them reportedly said they would
be out of town.
The vice chair of the committee is Sen. Edgardo Angara while the other
members are Senators Franklin Drilon, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Antonio
Trillanes, Manny Villar, Francis Pangilinan, Ferdinand Marcos, and Koko
Pimentel.
The ex-officio members are Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada,
Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III, and Senate Minority Floor Leader
Alan Peter Cayetano.
The Senate rules require that there should be at least two senators present
to form a quorum at a committee hearing.
Santiago said if no quorum is reached, "this can only mean that the senators
have been ordered by Malacañang to stay away."
Sen. Panfilo Lacson also admitted that majority of senators see possible
problems in the validity of the investigation.
A search on the Senate website indicates that Santiago had filed a resolution
last September 10 seeking an inquiry on the bidding and purchase of allegedly
overpriced firearms by the Philippine National Police, which was under Puno. The
measure was allegedly withdrawn.
No Puno too?
But aside from the senators, Santiago said Puno, who announced his
resignation three days before the Senate investigation, may also skip Friday's
hearing. She said even though many of the other resource persons have confirmed
their attendance, Puno himself has yet to give them a reply.
Puno reportedly said he has yet to receive his invite but the senator said
her staff had sent out the invitations last Monday, a day before Puno announced
his resignation through a statement.
Craven
She said that if Puno does not show up "then it will show that he is a craven
coward, that all charges against him are probably true, and that he is thumbing
his nose at the Filipino public."
"He has to be present and invoke the privilege for every question. That is
not a ground for an omnibus refusal to answer all questions or to be absent,"
Santiago said.
Santiago had earlier said that she will issue a subpoena for invited resource
persons who will skip the hearing.
"If the Senate President refuses to sign the subpoena, in effect he will
disapprove the committee recommendation, which is not normal," she said. — KBK, GMA News
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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