Sotto, Lacson say Senate can’t compel Ignacio Arroyo to face chopper hearing

Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo.

MANILA, Philippines—Can the Senate compel Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio Arroyo to face a Senate hearing if he invokes the inter-parliamentary courtesy?

“No. It’s precisely inter-parliamentary courtesy. That’s why we can’t compel him to attend,” Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in a text message on Wednesday.

Even Senator Panfilo Lacson conceded that the Senate would have to defer with the inter-parliamentary courtesy if Arroyo decides not to face the Senate.

“If he doesn’t appear on Monday, that’s his own lookout. Of course, if he doesn’t come, then he will be sent another invitation,” Lacson said in a mix of English and Filipino, referring to the invitation of the Senate blue ribbon committee to attend its hearing on Monday.

“But I think that’s as far as we can go. We cannot issue a subpoena. We can, of course, but we will be deferring from the inter-parliamentary courtesy,” Lacson aded.

But Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Sergio Osmeña III believed otherwise.

“Strictly speaking, yes, because inter-parliamentary courtesy cannot be used to prevent either the House and the Senate from performing their official duties,” Pangilinan said in a text message.

Osmeña said Arroyo can be compelled to face the Senate, saying “inter-parliamentary courtesy is not a hard rule.

Senator Teofisto Guingona, chairman of the committee, also said the Senate can also compel the attendance of Arroyo in the hearing.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile would not say, however, whether or not the Senate has indeed the power to force the congressman to attend the hearing.

“I will leave it to the committee to dispose that because as President of the Senate, I will not make any pronouncement because I don’t know the thinking of committee members,” Enrile said.

Arroyo was summoned by the committee after he took the cudgels for his brother, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who allegedly owned five helicopters.

The congressman, through his lawyer, said that the helicopters had been only leased by the family-owned LTA Inc. from Lionair Inc.