Senate summons Rep. Ignacio Arroyo to probe

The Senate blue ribbon committee has formally asked Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo to appear next week during the resumption of its investigation into the second-hand helicopters sold as brand-new to the Philippine National Police in 2009.

The blue ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III on Wednesday wrote Arroyo to “request your presence” in the next hearing.

By tradition, members of the Senate or the House of Representatives are not summoned to appear in any investigation initiated by either chamber. They also normally refuse to comment negatively on legislators belonging to the other house.

But Guingona said “public interest is paramount over parliamentary courtesy.”

On medical leave

Guingona’s committee instructed Arroyo to submit in time for the hearing a sworn statement or affidavit “detailing your knowledge and/or participation, if any, on the matter of the alleged acquisition of helicopters.”

Arroyo, who is on a medical leave, is in London for treatment of his liver ailment.

But even if Arroyo shows up, Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday admitted there was still no witness who would testify that former President Macapagal-Arroyo’s husband Jose Miguel Arroyo—or his brother Ignacio—had forced the PNP to purchase two second-hand choppers.

Arroyo earlier said that the five choppers allegedly owned by his older brother had been merely leased to their family’s company LTA Inc. in 2004.

Through his lawyer, Arroyo produced a copy of a lease agreement purportedly showing that Mike did not own the five helicopters, two of which along with a new one were sold to the PNP for P105 million in 2009.

But Lacson said he was expecting a witness to appear in Monday’s hearing, only to show that Ignacio was “lying.”

“(The witness) will just testify that Iggy Arroyo is a liar,” Lacson told reporters.

Lacson admitted that the blue ribbon committee would likely not issue a subpoena on Arroyo should he fail to attend the hearing.

Desecrated

“We can, of course, (issue one) but we will defer to parliamentary courtesy,” he said.

At the House, opposition leaders yesterday rallied behind Arroyo and said he had the right to refuse the Senate invitation to its inquiry.

Minority Leader Edcel Lagman acknowledged the traditional inter-parliamentary courtesy between the Senate and the House on the invitation of their respective members.

“Inter-parliamentary courtesy has been desecrated a thousand times,” he told reporters in a briefing.

“But that doesn’t stop the Senate from inviting a House member, and the House member from demurring,” he later said in an interview.

Lagman assured Arroyo of the minority bloc’s support in a possible conflict with the Senate.

“The minority will be ready to extend all kinds of assistance within the limits of the law to our beleaguered colleague,” he told reporters, but did not go into specifics.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, however, reminded his colleagues that Congress, including the Senate, has the constitutional powers to summon witnesses and conduct investigation.

“Parliamentary courtesy is not a law but a mere tradition and cannot trump the Constitution. But Congressman Arroyo should not hide behind [this tradition] and face [the Senate] especially because they claimed they’re blameless,” he said.

Lagman, however, conceded that in the end it was Arroyo’s call whether to heed the Senate invitation or not. He said their colleague had yet to talk to the minority bloc.

‘Witch-hunt’

“That’s personal to Iggy. It should not even pass the Speaker,” he said of the Senate invitation to Arroyo. “I don’t know whether Iggy has a right. I don’t know whether he wants to talk with us. I don’t know whether he wants a minority position on this. It’s Iggy’s call. It’s Iggy’s move.”

Lagman indicated that the Senate should refrain from engaging in a “witch-hunt” and leave it to the courts to resolve the alleged sale of the helicopters passed off as new ones.

“As far as I’m concerned this is not a case for the legislature to investigate. Any person or group of persons who have evidence that a crime has been committed in relation to these helicopters should bring the necessary complaint to the prosecutorial and judicial agencies of the government. Why should we waste time?” he said.

“What’s happening is that we have the witch-hunt first, then go to the prosecutors or judiciary later. That’s not what’s needed. Whoever has evidence about a crime should bring this to court,” he added.