Palace shaken by ‘Hello Garci’ revival, says Lacson
August 24, 2007 18:17:00
Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
“What they don’t realize is that the all-important interests of the highest order like the rights of suffrage and privacy will be safeguarded as a consequence of the closure to this pestering issue that a forthcoming Senate investigation could bring about,” he said.On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, who also chairs the Senate committee on rules, and Senator Pia Cayetano agree that the issue be heard by the Senate Committee of the Whole.
Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Panfilo Lacson, who revived the ‘Hello Garci’ controversy in his privileged speech on Tuesday, rejected Malacañang’s call to drop the issue for its priority bills.“The Palace is obviously shaken by the Hello Garci revival, more so with new and damning evidence,” he said in a text message replying to an INQUIRER.net.
“What they don’t realize is that the all-important interests of the highest order like the rights of suffrage and privacy will be safeguarded as a consequence of the closure to this pestering issue that a forthcoming Senate investigation could bring about,” he said.On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, who also chairs the Senate committee on rules, and Senator Pia Cayetano agree that the issue be heard by the Senate Committee of the Whole.
“My personal position is that the matter of jurisdiction -- that is, can the Committee of the Whole investigate the issue considering certain prohibitions under the Anti-Wiretapping Law should be referred to the Committee of the Whole to decide on. The rules provide for this: Section 3 of the Rules Governing Inquires in Aid of Legislation. Hence my view is that the Rules Committee should refer the matter to the Committee of the Whole for disposition consistent with our own rules,” Pangilinan said.
Cayetano, for her part, said the controversy involving the recorded phone conversations between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is a “serious, constitutional” issue.
She said she was concerned less about the contents of the recordings than about “the constitutionality of the whole event and the participation of law enforcement agencies in violation of the Constitution and the law.”
In a related development, Senator Manuel Roxas II said the “Hello Garci” hearings will not hamper the passage of vital measures, including his and Cayetano’s affordable medicines bill.
Cayetano agreed with Roxas and said the Senate can always go on “multi-tasking mode” as it has always done in the past.
