Sen. Francis Escudero INQUIRER PHOTO/DELFIN T. MALLARI JR./INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, who is pushing for a Senate inquiry into the alleged “padrino system” in the Bureau of Customs (BoC), denied a colleague’s claim that he knows the identities of political patrons in the bureau.
“No. Maybe he knows),” Escudero said during a regular forum at the Senate on Thursday, when sought to comment on Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV’s claim that he already knew who were the people behind the alleged political patronage practice at the BoC.
“And I don’t want to accuse anyone without basis. My only basis is hearsay. Hearsay– somebody told me this and that. Hearsay. As a lawyer, I don’t accuse (without basis). What I know was just hearsay, which also came from you,” he said.
But Trillanes did not buy Escudero’s statements.
“That’s a laugh,” said Trillanes in a text message.
It was during an interview with reporters Tuesday that Trillanes wondered why there was a need for the Senate to investigate the “padrino system” in the BoC when President Benigno Aquino III himself and Escudero, who called for an inquiry, already knew the people involved.
Trillanes though said he would support and participate in the inquiry if the Senate would push for it.
But Escudero reiterated that he was pushing for the investigation to allow those being accused in the media, including some senators, to clear their names and face their accusers .
“Another reason why I want a hearing is that because not all phone calls are bad. What if a constituent of a congressman is complaining that he is being extorted by a customs employee? Doesn’t he have a right to call and report it?” he said.
“Not all calls are bad or illegal. That’s part of the oversight function of Congress and the Senate to ensure that their employees are doing their job,” Escudero said.