Senate inquiry on Binay ‘unconstitutional, in aid of election’

The Senate inquiry against Vice President Jejomar Binay has become an “institutional hatchet machinery” demeaning the oversight function of the chamber, a law professor said on Friday.

UP Law professor Harry Roque said the Supreme Court’s intervention should be sought because the probe had become unconstitutional.

“The Senate investigation against Binay has now become clearly unconstitutional. Rules have not been published and there is no legislative purpose.”

He said “we will file a petition against continuing hearings next week before the Supreme Court as it already is in grave abuse of discretion.”

The latest exposé against the Binays are the alleged “ghost” senior citizens receiving gifts from the city.

Former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Vicente Joyas said the Senate inquiry had become “in aid of election” instead of “in aid of legislation.”

“This Senate investigation is no longer in aid of legislation but in aid of election. The senators are fishing for evidence,” Joyas said.

The former IBP head believed the agenda of senators pursuing the probe had become obvious and that the proceedings provided them an avenue to politically harass the Vice President.

Joyas stressed that the “proper forum” to bring up and investigate corruption claims against the Binays would be the courts.

Binay earlier filed a P200-million damage suit against Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano, who were leading Senate inquiries on the Binays, as well as Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and several others over corruption claims hurled against his family.

“Nagdemanda na naman si VP Binay (sa Makati court). Doon na lang nila ventilate ang issues,” said Joyas.

Joyas said Trillanes and the other senators involved in the Senate probe were obviously using the Binay hearings for “media mileage” since no piece of legislation had come out of the one-year investigation.

“Gaano ba naman katagal iyong isang taon niya (ni Trillanes). Ginagawa na nilang political issue iyan,” said Joyas. Tetch Torres-Tupas/RC