House minority shields Iggy from Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Opposition lawmakers yesterday declared they would protect Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo from being summoned by the Senate to appear before the investigation into the helicopter sale to the police.

Senior administration lawmaker Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II also warned the Senate could set a dangerous precedent on inter-parliamentary courtesy if it will insist on summoning Arroyo to its congressional inquiry.

Gonzales said the rule on subpoenas or compulsion to appear “is primary as it is in the rules of each chamber in the exercise of oversight powers.”

“Inter-parliamentary courtesy is an ‘informal’ rule – not in the rules of any chamber. So theoretically, the Senate can compel Iggy to appear,” Gonzales said.

“However, the Senate should it so decide to compel should realize that it will open the door for the House to also compel attendance of senators in appropriate cases in House inquiries,” the House majority leader said.

House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the minority lawmakers in the House of Representatives would be extending all legal assistance to Arroyo.

Arroyo, the brother-in-law of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now Pampanga representative, is currently in London to seek medical treatment for a liver ailment.

“Let me just assure you that the minority will be ready to extend all kinds of assistance within the limit of the law to a beleaguered colleague of the minority,” Lagman told a news conference.

Lagman agreed with the observations of Gonzales, citing the tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy.

The Senate Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III yesterday sent a formal invitation to Arroyo to appear on Aug. 22 before the investigation on the anomalous sale of helicopters to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009.

The Senate is investigating the allegations that Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, husband of the former president, sold two of the helicopters as brand new to the PNP.

Iggy Arroyo, in a statement from London early this week, said it was he, as president of the Arroyo family-owned LTA Inc., who leased five helicopters in May 2004 from LionAir.

He said his brother Mike had nothing to do with the deal and the sale of choppers to the PNP.

The Negros Occidental lawmaker said it was LionAir that sold its aircraft.

Lagman said the issue should be investigated by the proper judicial authorities.

“Why should we waste time? What’s happening appears to be a witch-hunt and then go to the prosecutor’s office later. Whoever has the evidence should bring the matter to the courts,” he said.

Lagman said he does not want to involve himself in the matter preferring that Arroyo deal with the subpoena himself.

“What I am saying is I don’t think whether Iggy has the right, I don’t want whether he wants to talk with us, I don’t know whether he wants to have a minority position on this. It’s Iggy’s call,” Lagman said.

Other lawmakers like Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said Arroyo had already volunteered to the Senate.

“He (Arroyo) has admitted his involvement in the scam. He should attend the Senate investigation to clarify his participation in the anomaly,” Casiño said.

He said Arroyo should not invoke his right to remain silent since he volunteered to save his elder brother.

Another Bayan Muna lawmaker, Neri Colmenares, said Arroyo should not refuse to attend the Senate probe by hiding behind parliamentary courtesy.

Senators, on the other hand, have different opinions when it comes to the possible invocation of inter-parliamentary courtesy.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile agreed that Arroyo should explain his claims that the Arroyo-owned LTA firm merely leased the helicopters from LionAir.

Enrile said the claims were contrary to the evidence that showed Mike Arroyo owned the helicopters.

“He claims to be the lessee. The evidence in the hands of the Senate is quite different so we will have to invite him to explain,” he said.

Senators Sergio Osmeña and Francis Pangilinan said they can go around the inter-parliamentary rule.

“Inter-parliamentary rule is not a hard rule,” Osmeña said.

Strictly speaking, Pangilinan added, “parliamentary courtesy cannot be used to prevent either the House or the Senate from performing their official duties.”

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Vicente Sotto III however maintained the rule on inter-parliamentary courtesy is binding.

“It’s precisely parliamentary courtesy that’s why we can’t compel him to attend,” Sotto said. – With Jess Diaz, Christina Mendez