PANGILINAN ON SUSPENSION OF NBN HEARINGS
‘Step in wrong direction’
Pimentel to ‘bring issue to people’
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:45:00 03/27/2008
Filed Under: NBN deal, Protest, Congress, Judiciary (system of justice), Politics
MANILA, Philippines -- Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan on Thursday said suspending Senate hearings on the botched $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. is a “step in the wrong direction.”
However, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he agreed with the suspension of the hearings but added that the issue might have to be brought directly to the people.
On Wednesday, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the blue ribbon committee, said they had decided to suspend hearings until they have dealt with the ramifications of the Supreme Court decision Tuesday on the NBN deal with China’s ZTE Corp.
The high court upheld the right of former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri to invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions about the reaction of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when he told her of an alleged attempt to bribe him to endorse the NBN contract.
"Suspending the hearings is a step in the wrong direction. It is a hasty retreat. We should choose to fight back. The Senate should, as an institution, within the context of the rule of law and the Constitution, fight back. This is in keeping with our oath of office. The Senate must not play deaf, dumb, or blind to the truth in the ZTE-NBN deal as hoped for by Malacañang,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan said the Senate must assert its position as a co-equal branch of government, proceed with the hearings, summon Neri, and have him respond to questions from senators.
“The Senate must assert its position as a co-equal by proceeding with the hearings. It should not shirk from its responsibilities by suspending these hearings as if to run to one corner and weep because of the adverse decision," he said.
Pangilinan reiterated that while he respects the Supreme Court decision, it undermines the constitutional principle of co-equality.
“The Senate response must be to defend the Constitution. Hence to assert our status as a co-equal and to get to the truth behind the anomalous deal, the Senate must proceed with the hearings by having Neri testify on other questions. I don't see how suspending the hearings will achieve this,” he said.
While he shared Pangilinan’s sentiment to fight back, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he wanted to take a different tack -- suspend the hearings so the Senate may show its disagreement with the Supreme Court decision.
“It cannot be business as usual. We cannot give the impression that everything is okay with what happened. It is not business as usual. Something was taken away from the Senate. The Senate has been rendered next to useless in its exercise of its legislative powers,” he said.
Pimentel wants the Senate to focus its energy on filing a motion for reconsideration as the Supreme Court ruling had factual errors regarding the publication of the Senate rules.
The high tribunal ruled that the Senate rules need to be published before these can take effect.
“We published the rules…two years ago and as a continuing body, we need not publish these rules every day,” he said.
Pimentel, however, said that if the Supreme Court does not overturn its ruling, the Senate may have to bring the issue to the people.
“We can remove the issue from the judiciary and bring it directly to the people as a political question…We can remove it from legal postulates to political principle…We will no longer consider ourselves bound legally by that action. We will take the action that is demanded by the situation,” he said.
Asked what specific actions these may be, he said: “I cannot define them yet. I don’t want this to be misconstrued as a threat against the Supreme Court or against anybody.”
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