Lawyer welcomes solons’ claim over Arroyo suspension

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A lawyer for Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed pronouncements by lawmakers that only Congress has the power to suspend the former President’s membership in the House of Representatives.

“We welcome it. That goes with our position that Congressman Arroyo shouldn’t be suspended,” lawyer Laurence Hector Arroyo told reporters after the Sandiganbayan gave the defense 15 days to comment on the prosecution’s motion for her suspension pending prosecution of graft charges against her.

Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong and Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales III said that only the House could suspend a member for disorderly behavior.

Gonzales said the charges against Arroyo stemmed from her alleged complicity in the allegedly graft-ridden $329-million NBN-ZTE deal that was concluded and subsequently scuttled during her presidency, and hence, could not be heard by the House ethics committee.

Should the Sandiganbayan suspend her, the House would not implement it, Gonzales said.

Quoting Section 13 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Ombudsman special prosecutors said that the suspension of a public officer facing graft charges was mandatory. They also cited jurisprudence stating that the validity of this provision of the law had been repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court.

Arroyo was arraigned last week for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards. She is also facing charges of electoral sabotage in a local court in Pasay City, and is detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

At Friday’s hearing, the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, chaired by Justice Gregory Ong, gave Arroyo’s lawyers 15 days to comment on the prosecutors’ motion.

Prosecutors refused to make any comment on the lawmakers’ statements. The Philippine Daily Inquirer tried but failed to reach Assistant Ombudsman Ferdinand Rafanan.

Lawyer Arroyo (no relation to the former President) said they’re still studying the arguments they would present in their comment. He said the prosecutors have filed similar motions against respondent-officials in the past.

He said the defense would also file motions for the prosecution to produce evidence against the former leader in preparation for the pre-trial conference.

“That’s the right of the accused to ask for that. We just want to know what other evidence do they have against the former President,’’ he said.