Senators slam investors grilling

MANILA, Philippines – Opposition senators took to task their colleagues from the administration bloc yesterday for ganging up on members of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce during a recent hearing on the JFC’s letter to President Arroyo regarding amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Escudero joined Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Sen. Manuel Roxas II in criticizing the apparent disrespect shown by Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo to JFC officials, especially Hubert D’Aboville, president of the European Chamber of Commerce.

D’Aboville, who got most of the dressing down from Enrile, was also designated as the group’s spokesman during the hearing last Friday by the Senate committee on energy chaired by Santiago.

“Resource persons invited by the Senate deserve the courtesy of guests appearing before any Senate committee hearing. Bullying, cutting, insulting or yelling at them won’t help the Senate get the information that we need to help us do our legislative work,” Lacson told reporters in a text message.

“Worse, driving them out of the country will put to waste billions of dollars being spent by our government, both here and abroad to attract foreign investments and make them stay and continue investing in our country. I think Senators Enrile, Arroyo and Santiago crossed the line of statesmanship in that committee on energy hearing last Friday,” Lacson said.

“While I can identify with their patriotism, I do not agree with their methodology that is a bit high handed to say the least,” Escudero added.

Over the weekend, Pimentel said the intense grilling of the JFC officials who appeared before the Senate last Friday was “overkill” on the part of his colleagues.

Roxas said the foreign investors had been denied the right to express their views over the issues affecting them.

“I think what happened was overkill. I would have treated the matter differently. But it would simply have been a matter of style. Every senator has his own way,” Pimentel said.

Enrile, Arroyo and Santiago claimed the JFC’s letter was an intervention into the country’s policies and governance.

Enrile went ballistic and even told the businessmen to get out of the country if they do not like the way things are being run here.

Roxas said the foreign businessmen simply clammed up after getting scolded by the veteran lawmakers.

“As investors, they also have the right to express their views on issues involving their businesses. They can do this through the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), the President, congressmen and senators. That is okay with me,” Roxas said.

Enrile lashed at Henry Schumacher, vice-president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc, whom the senator accused of lobbying for the EPIRA since its creation 2001.

After the hearing, D’Aboville told reporters that as far as he is concerned, what he went through in the Senate would not affect foreign investments in the country.