Senate to probe alleged ethical breach in Philcomsat probe

The Senate is convening its ethics committee to look into the complaints filed by former senator Rene Saguisag against Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile for alleged ethical violations during the hearing on the Philippine Communication Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat), Senate President Manuel Villar said yesterday.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan said the majority group will meet within the week to determine who they will be recommend to the ethics committee, which has no chairman at the moment.

During the plenary session yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. nominated Senators Alfredo Lim, Jamby Madrigal and Panfilo Lacson as representatives of the opposition block to the ethics committee.

Pimentel, an ex-officio member of the ethics committee, has been at odds with Enrile over the latter’s plans to speed up passage of the the anti-terrorism law.

In a letter to Villar last week, Saguisag sought an interpretative ruling on certain "ethical issues" on Enrile’s conduct during the committee investigation of Philcomsat Holdings.

Saguisag, who represented PHC directors Philip Brodett and lawyer Luis Lokin, said that Villar should make a ruling on how the Senate would treat documents illegally obtained and look into Enrile’s conduct, which he said may have gone beyond ethical standards during the investigation.

The former senator also accused Enrile of "lawyering for POTC and Philcomsat."

The government, through the PCGG, owns 40 percent of POTC, which wholly owns Philcomsat, which in turn owns 80 percent of PHC.

Saguisag raised the issue of the conflict of interest on Enrile’s part since his daughter, Katrina, is reportedly one of the incorporators of Philcomsat. According to Saguisag, Katrina owns 6.6 percent of Philcomsat and POTC.

Enrile, however, argued that he did not commit any improper act when he debated with Philcomsat officials as well as Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Chairman Camilo Sabio, who was then under Senate custody.

Enrile said he is ready to face his accuser in court and at the Senate ethics committee to clear his name over the accusations. — Christina Mendez