Department of Foreign Affairs (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — A Commission on Appointments (CA) panel deferred on Wednesday the deliberations on the nomination of a Philippine envoy.
During the CA committee on foreign affairs hearing, presided over by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, lawmakers flagged sexual assault cases filed against Bienvenido Tejano.
Tejano is nominated as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Kiribati and Solomon Islands.
“Since it is very clear that Ambassador Tejano is holding several information for us, and I think it would be embarrassing for him to divulge this information in public… therefore, I move that we defer the appointment of Mr. Tejano until such time the issues have been cleared,” Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel said.
No one objected, hence, deferring the discussion.
Senator Risa Hontiveros was the first to quiz Tejano on previous cases lodged against him, citing reports alleging that he “invoked diplomatic immunity to escape charges in one of those cases.”
Tejano disputed the report and said that it was untrue.
“It has been publicized in [the] newspaper. It was [broadcast on] some radio stations. There was even a draft of [the] business paper that was sent to Papua New Guinea and they paid them in order to publish and destroy me,” he argued.
“When you are already publicized like that, it really hurts me so much because this is not true. These are all fabricated,” he added.
Tejano said that a Filipina entrepreneur, whom he refused to help as it would endanger her welfare, accused him of sexual assault.
However, Pimentel said it was Tejano’s former Filipino household helper, not a businesswoman.
The congressman added that the other case filed against the diplomat was lodged by the latter’s grandniece, who claimed she was assaulted and raped.
Pimentel noted that the case was dismissed due to technicality.
“The case was dismissed on a technicality because of the prescription period. The court alleged na matagal na masyado (that it is long overdue). But, the dismissal does not prove your innocence,” the lawmaker said.
The committee likewise deliberated on the nomination of another ambassador and the ad-interim appointments of 14 other foreign service officials.
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