Santiago files ethics complaint vs Enrile at Senate

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Miriam Defensor-Santiago INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday filed a letter-complaint in the Senate against Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile for “disorderly behavior” when the latter attacked her in a privilege last November 27.

“This is to  respectfully request you to consider this letter as a formal  complaint against Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile for disorderly behaviour, by attacking me on a personal level in a prior privilege speech  that he delivered on November 27, copy enclosed,”  Santiago said in her letter to Majority Leader Alan Peter  Cayetano.

In her letter-complaint, Santiago enumerated the Senate rules against parliamentary acts and language that Enrile allegedly violated when he delivered his speech against her.

She said Section 93 of Rule 24 states that “act and language which offend a senator or any public institution should be deemed unparliamentary.”

“No senator, under any circumstances, shall use offensive or improper language against another senator or against any public institution,” the senator said, citing Section 94 of the same rule.

Santiago said Section 97 of Rule 24 also provides that the Senate, upon the recommendation of the committee on ethics, may punish any member for disorderly behaviour and, with the concurrence of two-thirds  of the entire membership, suspend or expel a member.

“A penalty of suspension shall not exceed 60 calendar days,” Section 97 further said.

In a separate letter to Senate President Franklin Drilon, Santiago requested that the ethics committee should be organized.

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