Higher penalty for wiretapping eyed

Deputy House Speaker Erico Aumentado (LAMP, Bohol) proposed yesterday a heavier penalty for illegal wiretapping in the wake of reports that the Batasan office telephones of several opposition congressmen had been tapped.

In Bill 7599, Aumentado recommended that the penalty for illegal wiretapping be increased from six months to six years imprisonment, to six to 12 years, plus the accessory punishment of perpetual disqualification from public office.

He said the heavier penalty could deter government agents from eavesdropping on private communications.

"We must stress that the constitutional right to privacy of communications and correspondence is inviolable, except upon lawful order of a court, or when public safety requires as prescribed by law," he said.

Last week, Deputy Minority Leader Sergio Apostol (Lakas, Leyte) revealed that the office telephone lines of several opposition congressmen, including his and those of Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Lakas, Quezon City), were being monitored.

He said the phones were found to have been tapped by three surveillance experts whose help was sought by Rep. Jack Enrile of Cagayan.

Enrile, son of long-time defense minister and now Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, does not belong to any party but counts himself with the House minority.

Apostol said among those whom he claimed were being spied on by government agents were members of the opposition's so-called Spice Boys, namely, Representatives Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Michael Defensor of Quezon City, Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon, Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur, Federico Sandoval II of Navotas-Malabon, Hernani Braganza of Pangasinan and Oscar Moreno of Misamis Oriental.

The House committee on public order and security chaired by Rep. Roilo Golez (LAMP, Parañaque) has decided to call the heads of intelligence agencies to a hearing to shed light on the reports.

Invited were Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson, who concurrently heads the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force; Maj. Gen. Jose Calimlim, head of Armed Forces Intelligence Service and National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre, who heads the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

Those whose phones were reportedly being monitored said the reports did not surprise them.

"We expect the administration to watch us but not through illegal means," said Sandoval.

In Tacloban City, Isabela Rep. and Lakas-NUCD secretary general Heherson Alvarez said it was only the national police that were capable of performing spying activities, considering their huge intelligence budget.

"We gave them (police) half a billion (pesos) to buy intelligence equipment and much of that is being used to purchase bugging equipment," he told The STAR.

"I hope Mr. Lacson is not involved in this, because we will be seriously and deeply disappointed," he added, referring to Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson.

Alvarez said the activity was a blatant violation of privacy. "Definitely, we will be protesting this illegal act," he said, as Congress starts an inquiry into the alleged spying activities this week.

Meanwhile, Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina said the wiretapping recently uncovered in Congress may be blamed on the opposition's anti-Estrada government stance. But he assured the President that the opposition would not resort to extra-constitutional means to regain political power in the country. --With Ulysses Sabuco