12 senators adopt committee report vs ‘1017’

Twelve senators adopted yesterday the report of the justice and human rights committee that condemned the raids and warrantless arrests conducted by the government following President Arroyo’s declaration of a state of national emergency.

Sen. Joker Arroyo, a human rights lawyer during the Martial Law years, said the committee found Proclamation No. 1017 an attempt to curtail freedom of the press.

Besides Arroyo, those who signed committee report 69 were Senators Pia Cayetano, Panfilo Lacson, Ralph Recto, Sergio Osmeña II, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Juan Flavier, Richard Gordon, Alfredo Lim, Jamby Madrigal and Manuel Roxas II.

Those who pledge to sign are Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Edgardo Angara, Bong Revilla Jr. and Manuel Villar.

"What else can we do? Our function is to investigate whether the attempt to muzzle media was a constitutional move on the part of the executive department and our findings deplored the way they handled these three occasions," Arroyo said.

He also expressed disappointment over the failure of National Telecommunications Commission director Ronald Solis and Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao to appear before the Senate inquiry by invoking Executive Order 464, which barred government officials from attending congressional inquiries without the approval of the President.

Lomibao and Solis could have explained the rationale for their actions, Arroyo said.

"But in a demonstration of presidential arrogance, they are forbidden from doing so, as if explicitly demonstrating that the President does not owe the Senate or the people an explanation," he said.

Arroyo said the primary objective of Proclamation No. 1017 was to control media because only news favorable to the government will be accessed by the public. — Christina Mendez