Palace welcomes move seeking suspension of legislative inquiry into mutiny

Malacañang denied yesterday it was behind a resolution filed by six pro-administration senators seeking a suspension of the two ongoing congressional inquiries into the mutiny of 321 soldiers on July 27.

But Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the Palace welcomes the suspension resolution filed by Sen. Robert Barbers and five other senators.

"Perhaps it could really be postponed for a while so that we could give a little time for our law enforcement agencies to do their more urgent work," Bunye said.

The House of Representatives has already begun a committee investigation of the mutiny while the Senate convened itself as a committee of the whole to hear the testimony of government and military officials.

But Barbers, along with Senators Joker Arroyo, Noli de Castro, Francis Pangilinan, Ralph Recto and Manny Villar, felt that authorities should first be allowed to finish their work before the Senate "dips in its hand."

While Bunye stressed that both congressional inquiries are well within the rights of both houses of Congress, Interior Secretary Jose Lina said the two separate probes are actually delaying the criminal prosecution of the mutineers and their supporters.

In his weekly program "Sagot Ko ‘Yan" over radio station dzMM, Lina said it is the executive branch of government that is principally responsible for prosecuting the mutineers and Congress can only conduct inquiries to aid in the drafting of laws.

"I am appealing to Congress to please let us finish our investigation before we face their investigations in aid of legislation," Lina said.

Bunye noted that Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya is still trying to account for officers and men who may be involved in the mutiny while Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. has been ordered to look for escaped terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi.

"(But) for two days, they have to be present (at the congressional hearings). This has delayed a little what work they ought to be doing," Bunye said.

Should Congress agree to suspend the inquiries, Bunye said President Arroyo has vowed there would be "no whitewash nor cover up" in the probe to be conduced by the presidential commission headed by former Supreme Court associate justice Florentino Feliciano.

But if Congress decides to continue the probe, Bunye said the military and police would continue to cooperate with Congress so long as sufficient security measures are implemented.

Bunye reiterated the military’s request that senators question the leaders of the mutiny at the headquarters of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) where they have been detained since their failed rebellion.