Cayetano need not inhibit self from trial, solon says

Sen. Renato Cayetano need not inhibit himself from sitting as judge in President Estrada’s impeachment trial despite his allegations that the Chief Executive had interceded for the acquittal of Hubert Webb, who was convicted of murder in last year, a congressman said yesterday.

Bohol Rep. Ernesto Herrera told the media forum "Kapihan sa Sulu" last Saturday the impeachment trial is "a political and administrative proceeding and not of judicial nature," and that the impeachment court has no mechanism for Cayetano to be inhibited.

"We therefore concur with the opinion of former (University of the Philippines College of Law) Dean Froilan Bacungan that there is no compelling reason for Senator Cayetano to inhibit himself," he said.

Cayetano was the private counsel of Lauro Vizconde, whose wife Estrellita and daughters Carmela and Anne Marie Jennifer, were murdered in their Parañaque residence in June 1991, during the trial of the son of former Sen. Freddie Webb.

Herrera also said allegations that Cayetano made a windfall from the trading of BW Resources Corp. shares were "a malicious diversion" orchestrated by Malacañang.

"We cannot call Senator Cayetano to task simply because he incidentally made a bundle speculating in BW shares at a time when many investors were doing so," he said.

In San Fernando, Pampanga, the "national command" of the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan (RHB) denied yesterday making any death threat to Cayetano.

"It is not the policy of the RHB to threaten anyone or announce threats, particularly death threats, though it warns against those who have done great injustice against the people," read a statement released to reporters by RHB spokesman Red Olalia.

The statement said Cayetano should not be afraid of any death threat if "he is on the side of the truth" because it is in the "best interest" of the Filipino people that Mr. Estrada steps down.

Last week, Cayetano received a .45 caliber bullet and a letter saying that the senator should be executed if he would not return to the poor some P70 million of allegedly stolen money.

The RHB is the armed wing of the Marxist-Leninist Party of the Philippines, which broke away from the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army in 1998.

In May last year, the RHB was blamed for the ambush of a party of Mayor Catalina Bagasina and presidential son Jojo Ejercito in Sasmuan, Pampanga. A radio reporter died in that ambush.

The RHB admitted to the ambush of former Porac Mayor Roy David in Angeles City, where three of David’s companions were killed in July last year. – With reports from Ding Cervantes