Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III
Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III urged the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday to make categorical answers or actions on its suspension order on Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito so the Senate could properly act on it.
Pimentel said he would answer a motion filed by the prosecution at the antigraft court, asking him to explain why Ejercito’s suspension had not been enforced yet.
READ: Sandiganbayan urged: Quiz Senate on JV Ejercito suspension
“We will answer the motion if required by the court to respond to the motion,” he said in an interview.
First, he said, he would explain to the court that the suspension order on Ejercito over the alleged anomalous purchase of firearms using calamity funds when he was still the mayor of San Juan City had been referred to the Senate committee on rules but it had not yet reported back to him.
Pimentel said he would also tell the court that the communication sent to his office was that Ejercito was suspended until a motion for reconsideration was filed.
“Ibig ko sabihin, if the Sandiganbayan wants categorical answers from us or actions, then they should also give categorical orders, not orders with a comma, and (require) us to conduct our own investigations if a motion for reconsideration has been filed. That is not our duty,” Pimentel said.
“It should be the court who should tell us that if nag-expire na yung period for motion for reconsideration, not throw to us the responsibility of finding out if ‘Hey, suspended senator, did you file a motion for reconsideration? Has your period expired?’ Why is that responsibility thrown to us? That will be part of the answer,” he added.
The Senate leader then urged the Sandiganbayan to “reread” its communications to his office.
“Nakasulat doon, ‘suspended unless, he has filed a motion for reconsideration.’” So ano ang ibig sabihin noon, magiimbestiga pa ako? Or if the period has expired, I will have to find out when is that period and when did period end?” Pimentel asked.
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