Drilon defends Senate long-running probe vs Binay

The Senate cannot let anyone defy its official orders.

Senate President Franklin Drilon made this statement as he defended the long-running inquiry of the blue ribbon subcommittee on the alleged anomalies involving Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Drilon said the witnesses’ refusal to cooperate and their failure to comply with subpoenas and explain their side were the reasons for the prolonged hearings. If they had shown up, the hearings would have concluded much earlier, he said.

The Binay camp had been critical of the subcommittee probe, arguing that after more than 20 hearings, it had produced nothing of value and branding it a political inquisition to demolish the Vice President’s chances in the 2016 presidential polls.

Because many witnesses ignored summonses, the subcommittee had been forced to cite them in contempt just to get them to show up, Drilon said in a recent forum.

It has no choice but to “keep on and dig in,” he said.

“If you stop that and we will just let them ignore the Senate processes, we cannot do our work anymore because we will be ignored, even if we subpoena,” he said in a briefing with three publications, the transcript of which was sent to the media.

“Remember, the subpoena is a process of compulsion to enable the Senate or Congress to get the necessary information which we need for legislation. If we are ignored, then we cannot work on the laws or policies,” he said.

The subcommittee had recommended the filing of plunder charges against the Vice President and his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, among others, for the allegedly overpriced P2.3 billion Makati City Hall Building II.

So far, only four senators—Aquilino Pimentel III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano and Grace Poe—have signed the draft partial report. It would need the signatures of nine lawmakers before it becomes an official report.

Drilon said the report would be submitted to him and he would have it scheduled for plenary discussions. But he does not sign committee reports, he said.

The issues raised in the subcommittee also led the Court of Appeals to grant a petition by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze the bank accounts of Binay and his associates.

The Vice President’s camp blamed the administration’s Liberal Party for using the AMLC to harass Binay and other political opponents.

But Drilon said such statements were “totally unfounded” but not surprising as the election season draws near.

He said the affected parties should just answer the allegations against them instead of hurling accusations.

“If what’s written there is not true, then just respond to them,” he said.

He also pointed out that the officials making up the AMLC are the heads of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Insurance Commissioner who all enjoy security of tenure and are all professionals.

“Do you think these people will tarnish their reputations by being tainted with politicians and political parties? I don’t think anybody in their right mind will ever say that,” he said.

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