Miriam slams colleagues over Puno probe

MANILA, Philippines -  Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday accused some of her colleagues of bootlicking President Aquino and his allies for their own interest in next year’s elections.

Santiago criticized Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, whom she described as wanting to be in the good graces of Malacañang to help boost the senatorial bid of his son, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile Jr.

“They favored Malacañang, because some of the senators have vested interest in the coming elections. Because it would be difficult for them to go against the administration. If possible, they would have to do some favors for the administration whether you belong to the ruling political party or not,” Santiago said in a radio interview with dzBB.

Santiago headed the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws, in the hearing last Friday to “evaluate” the powers of resigned Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary Rico Puno.

“If you cannot put yourself or your son... or if you are already graduating from the Senate and you wanted a position in the government, of course you have to do some favors for Malacañang,” she said.

Santiago said a majority of the senators were reluctant to face the challenge of looking into Puno’s powers and backers “because they know he is close to President Aquino” because they both came from Tarlac.

Puno is also allied with Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, the senator noted.

“It looks as if you are challenging Malacañang if you are supporting the investigation against Puno... that’s why I ask them in English, ‘What’s there not to like about me? We are all senators’,” Santiago said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson is on his second and last term, and he would vie possibly for a government post in the Aquino Cabinet once his term ends in May next year, Santiago said.

Lacson said it was not in his character to lobby for posts, even during the time of former President Joseph Estrada.

Lacson pointed out he and other senators, including Enrile, were concerned that the Senate rules are followed to the letter to avoid any legal issues once the hearing is questioned before the Supreme Court.

Santiago said she is disappointed over Malacañang’s effort to exert influence on some Cabinet members and some senators to derail the hearing she scheduled without the benefit of a resolution or a privilege speech last Friday.

The hearing proceeded as scheduled last Friday after two senators arrived to constitute a quorum.

Santiago was angered by the way Enrile and Lacson questioned the legality of the public hearing due to lack of a resolution and/or a privilege speech.

“While will I be defensive when I am being attacked by my fellow senators, not Malacañang,” she asked.

Santiago noted only two lawmakers attended the Friday hearing, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III.

Both attended the hearing, which Santiago said, was made apparently to boost their bids in next year’s national elections.

While the two senators want to side with the administration, Santiago said the public exposure of the hearing will help Cayetano and Pimentel in their re-election bids.

Television is the most effective medium of reaching out to the people, she said.

“Now you weigh (these circumstances), even if you are independent-minded, you will think that the administration will not take you at fault (for attending the hearing) because we should be allowed to exercise our freedom of conscience,” she said.

Santiago though admitted she pleaded with Cayetano and Pimentel, her former student, to attend last Friday’s hearing.

But even without Cayetano and Pimentel, Santiago said she would still have continued the hearing on Puno.

“The only thing (that) can stop me is to have me shot or shipped to the International Criminal Court (ICC). But they cannot do that because they do not have jurisdiction over ICC.”

Santiago had been appointed as ICC judge early this year but she has requested to be called to duty by next year.

Further pressed for message to her critics, Santiago added: “Die!” before she burst into laughter during a radio interview yesterday where she revealed her disappointment over the alleged attempt to sabotage last Friday’s hearing on Puno.

No House probe on Puno

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II explained yesterday that the House does not intend to duplicate the Senate inquiry on Puno.

“Following tradition and as a matter of courtesy to the Senate, we had no plan to repeat what they started, in the same way that they don’t repeat our inquiries,” Gonzales said.

As the official trafficking the business of the House, Gonzales said in addition that he has not given clearance to any inquiry into the PNP firearms deals.

“In the first place, there is no proposed investigation to clear. I have not seen the supposed resolution on the PNP procurements allegedly filed,” he said.

“Besides, the House has no time for this inquiry, even if they formally ask for it, or for any other probe. We are focused on the proposed P2-trillion 2013 national budget,” Gonzales pointed out.

He said they expect to approve the budget proposal on second reading this week before the first two-week congressional recess starting on Saturday.

Gonzales said the spending bill would be printed during the break and put to a third and final-reading vote when session resumes middle of October. – Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz