Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
No Cabinet member showed up when the Senate resumed its investigation on Wednesday into the April 1 violent dispersal of farmers in Kidapawan City that killed at least three people and leaving dozens injured.
Among the resource persons invited but were a no-show in the hearing of the Senate committee on justice were Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, Social Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Public Works and Highways Rogelio Singson and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad.
Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile was irked by their absence in the hearing.
“You know this involves an event that affected–according to the papers–6,000 members of our national community… I supposed if they were invited, they should be here because that’s the purpose of their being members of their Cabinet,” Enrile said.
Sarmiento’s representative, Regional Director Reynaldo Bungubung, received a dressing down from the senator for his boss’ absence in the hearing.
“Could you explain why your boss… could not attend a hearing like this? What is the impelling problem of your department that keeps him out of discussing a problem of the country and our people as important as this one?” Enrile asked.
“I supposed he’s attending urgent matters today, so I was advised to proceed here today,” said Bungubung.
“What are those urgent matters of the nation (so) earthshaking that prevents him from coming here to honor the invitation of a committee of the co-equal branch of the government? This is question of attitude and efficiency in government. Tell us,” Enrile said.
“Does your secretary think that this matter is within the level of the regional director and not a responsibility of his excellency, the Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government?
“Now for the others, is this the way your department looks at problems of the country involving matters, citizens, your bosses supposedly, the boss of your boss? If you are just using that only as a slogan, then I’m asking this question I believe your boss that he claims the Filipino people are his bosses,” he added, apparently referring to President Benigno Aquino.
When told that Soliman could not attend the hearing because she was in Mati, Davao Oriental, Enrile said: “Campaigning?”
But Soliman’s representative answered no, saying Soliman was in the consultation with the regional officials regarding El Niño concerns.
“Oh come on, she’s distributing CCT,” Enrile said. CCT is the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program.
Before proceeding to the hearing, Enrile expressed his “disgust in the manner by which the government looks at this problem.”
“And it’s reflected by the inaction and absence of high officials who are in our government today… When I was a member of the Cabinet for 20 years, no matter how small the problem is involving our people, we attended to it en toto,” he added. JE
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