Malacañang gives up bid to stop Congress mutiny inquiry

President Arroyo has given up efforts to stop congressional inquiries into the failed July 27 mutiny after both the Senate and the House of Representatives decided to conduct their own separate probes.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier said a congressional probe might muddle the investigation, expected to open today, that will be conducted by an independent six-member commission (not seven as earlier reported) that she had formed.

Politicians might also use the inquiries for political grandstanding, she warned.

"I would have preferred to have the independent fact-finding commission undertake the sole inquiry for purposes of public focus, but I respect the decision of the Senate to proceed with its own," Mrs. Arroyo said in a prepared statement that she read after swearing in three more members of the commission yesterday.

"I am for giving the people the full, unadulterated and unabridged story about this notorious misadventure and I welcome all responsible efforts towards this end. The truth will prevail. Democracy will prevail."

The commission will temporarily hold hearings at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas main office in Pasay City, Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesman, Ignacio Bunye said.

Yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo swore into the panel Carolina Hernandez, political science professor at the University of the Philippines; Roman Catholic priest Fr. Joaquin Bernas, a former member of the commission that framed the 1987 Constitution; and Commodore Rex Robles, a former military rebel.

They join former Supreme Court justice Florentino Florencio, who will head the investigation, and Minerva Reyes, also a retired Supreme Court justice, and former Air Force captain Roland Narciso.

Narciso actually replaced a member of the commission, Army Capt. Rex Banjo Bumanlag, Mrs. Arroyo clarified yesterday.

Bumanlag and Narciso are members of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1995. Some of the officers who participated in the mutiny were also their classmates.

Narciso, 30, left the military three years ago to join Philippine Airlines while Bumanlag is still in active service.

Mrs. Arroyo said the members of the fact-finding panel must come from the private sector for the commission to remain independent and its credibility intact as well as to avoid possible "legal problems."