Senate to probe ‘Million $ Man’

Too many commissions spoil the probe.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is the proper body to investigate the alleged $2 million payola of a still-unidentified Cabinet secretary.

Drilon said he was inclined to disagree with the proposal to create an independent commission to look into the "Million Dollar Man" controversy.

"I’m afraid we have too many commissions in the bureaucracy," Drilon said.

He said the very nature of the alleged bribery charge against a government official falls under the jurisdiction of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which is mandated to look into cases of graft and corruption in government.

The Blue Ribbon Committee is headed by Sen. Joker Arroyo.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon proposed the creation of an independent investigation body to look into the "Million Dollar Man" controversy.

Biazon said it was improper for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the case, as ordered by President Arroyo, because the agency is directly under the administrative supervision of Justice Secretary Hernando Perez.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday Perez could be the "Million Dollar Man" alluded to by Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama in a privileged speech Monday.

Lacson also accused Perez of accepting a $2-million payoff in exchange for a legal opinion favoring Argentine power firm Industria Metalurgicas Pescarmona SA (Impsa).

"Unless an independent body is created to get to the bottom of this case, the credibility of the Arroyo administration will suffer tremendously, especially its program to eliminate graft and corruption in government," Biazon said during a press briefing.

Biazon also suggested that Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) chief Col. Victor Corpus should be tapped to investigate the payola scandal. "Isn’t Corpus the master detective in tracing bank accounts?" he asked sarcastically.

Biazon was referring to the probe conducted by Corpus into the alleged secret bank accounts of ousted President Joseph Estrada, Sen. Luisa Ejercito and Lacson in Hong Kong. Corpus has yet to prove the Estrada and Lacson accounts exist.

Biazon said he does not expect the NBI to be able to conduct a "credible and independent" investigation of the "Million Dollar Man" case, as Perez has direct authority over NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco.

Drilon warned the Department of Justice (DOJ) during a budget hearing Thursday that the proposed P6.55 billion 2003 DOJ budget would be in jeopardy unless the issue of the $2 million payola is fully investigated and explained.

During the DOJ budget hearing, Drilon also chided Wycoco for not immediately investigating the payola allegations despite the fact that no complaint has been filed.

Wycoco told the Senate budget panel headed by Sen. Francisco Pangilinan that he told Villarama the NBI is willing to accept the Bulacan lawmaker’s witnesses and affidavits so the NBI can begin its investigation of the case.

Wycoco’s reply, however, did not satisfy Drilon, who said Villarama’s documents have already seen print in several newspapers.

Drilon said Pangilinan would have a difficult time defending the proposed DOJ budget if questions about the $2 million payola are not answered seriously. The Senate president said these questions would arise on the Senate floor even if they are not related to the proposed DOJ budget and Pangilinan would be expected to provide satisfactory answers.

Lacson said Impsa’s $2-million payoff to Perez was deposited in the account of Perez’s brother-in-law, Ramon Arceo, at Coutts Bank in Hong Kong.

Both Perez and Arceo have denied having any accounts in Coutts Bank. Perez told the Senate budget panel he never knew of the existence of Coutts Bank until he heard about it in media. The justice secretary also said he is willing to donate the $2 million if it could be proven that the money in the Coutts Bank account mentioned by Lacson belongs to him.

In a conversation with Perez, Arceo, a retired banker, said he is mulling suing those who dragged his name into the controversy for libel.