TG orders Blue Ribbon subcommittee to resolve Binay motion

MANILA, Philippines - Keeping his hands off the issue of the jurisdictional challenge posed by Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. to the Senate investigation on the Makati parking building, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III yesterday directed the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee to resolve the motion with finality.

Guingona, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, is leaving it up to the sub-panel chaired by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III to rule on the motion filed by Binay and several individuals.

Members of the subcommittee who earlier ruled against the jurisdictional challenge would again decide on the motion today.

But the ruling will not be issued by the Blue Ribbon committee as a whole as desired by petitioners when they filed the motion last week.

Citing Section 20 of the Senate rules, Guingona said the subcommittee may perform “any and all acts, which the committee as a whole is authorized to do and perform.”

“Included in this scope of subcommittee powers are jurisdictional questions. In this instance, the jurisdictional challenge takes on the nature of a motion for reconsideration, which still falls under the subcommittee’s scope of powers to resolve,” he said.

The Blue Ribbon committee had received jurisdictional challenges from Binay; Ebeng Baloloy, an alleged former aide of Vice President Jejomar Binay; Makati legal officer Pio Dasal; former city administrator Marjorie de Veyra and University of Makati president Tomas Lopez.

Pimentel said the motions for reconsideration filed by the petitioners would be decided at the start of today’s hearing, the eighth in connection with the Makati parking building.

He said that everyone who had been issued subpoenas, including the Makati mayor, must attend the hearing.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a member of the subcommittee, said the hearing would go on as scheduled after they rule on the jurisdictional challenge.

Pimentel hopes to wrap up the Senate investigation on the Makati parking building today.

“If the alleged overpricing of the parking building turns out to be correct then that justifies pursuing the investigation. But if the first part turns out to be false then I will suggest that we terminate the entire probe,” he said.

UNA asks TG: Show leadership

Meanwhile, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) yesterday asked Guingona to convene the Senate Blue Ribbon committee as a whole and address the issue on the jurisdiction of its subcommittee to investigate the Makati parking building.

UNA interim president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said the Senate subcommittee has gone beyond its power to investigate.

“As someone who leads the Blue Ribbon committee, we would have expected Senator Guingona to put some order to a runaway subcommittee and to follow the Senate rules to the letter,” Tiangco said.

He cited Section 3 of the Senate rules of procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation, which states that “if the jurisdiction of the committee is challenged on any ground, the issue must first be resolved by the committee before proceeding with the inquiry.”  – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Michael Punongbayan