Privacy underpins human dignity and other key values such as freedom of association and freedom of speech. It has become one of the most important human rights issues of the modern age. The publication of this report reflects the growing importance, diversity and complexity of this fundamental right.
"The modern privacy benchmark at an international level can be found in the 1984 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which specifically protected territorial and communications privacy. Article 12 states:
"No one should be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, or to attacks on his honor or reputation.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interferences or attacks.
"Numerous international human rights covenants give specific reference to privacy as a right. The International Covenant on Civil and Political (CCPR), the UN Convention on Migrant Workers and the UN Convention on Protection of the Child adopt the same language."
Ignacio Arroyo is now frustrating our senator’s efforts of getting at the true facts concerning the Pidal account by invoking his right to privacy.
The irony is that he was the one who volunteered the information about his owning the Pidal account. In his first appearance in court, he seemed to be at home in public. He was smiling, friendly and even waved at some people.
Definitely, he was more at home in the Senate hearing than his brother, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo who was glum and serious. Ignacio Arroyo went as volunteering to give a special power of attorney to the proper authorities so that it could look into the Jose Pidal account.
Now he is risking a contempt charge that may land him in prison. Some senators say that they will extend to him the choice of being detained in the senate garage or the Muntinglupa Prison. We hope it does not come to that.
From the very start, we were advising Sen. Panfilo Lacson to take his case o the Pidal account to the courts instead of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Now some senators have expressed the opinion that the Supreme Court nay have to rule on whether Ignacio Arroyo can invoke the rights of privacy in refusing to answer questions from senators investigating the allegations of Panfilo Lacson that his brother, Mike, laundered no less than P260 million.
Mike has refused to answer questions since his brother, Ignacio, claimed ownership of the account. So when questioned on the Pidal account, he says, "That question should be addressed to my brother, Ignacio." And when Ignacio is asked, he invokes his privacy right to remain silent. That, in effect, sums up the senate’s situation in its investigation of the Pidal account.
What is needed is not privacy. It is transparency. And as we have maintained from the very first day of the senate hearing, it will have to be done in a court of law. The sooner this matter is elevated to the proper court, the better for the interested parties. Truth must prevail. And there must be justice for all.