Gordon to Abcede: Be man enough - 09.14.2006

BY JP LOPEZ

SEN. Richard Gordon yesterday challenged Commissioner Ricardo Abcede of the Presidential Commission on Good Government "to be man enough" and submit himself to Senate inquiry.
Abcede, subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Senate for ignoring summonses, earlier said he was not hiding.

"I am not hiding because for me this is an illegal act. I cannot be part of a criminal act by the Senate," Abcede said.

Senate security on Wednesday arrested PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio at the PCGG office in Mandaluyong City.

Senate security failed to serve the warrants on Abcede and Commissioners Narciso Nario, Nicasio Conti and Tereso Javier who have thrice snubbed the hearings of the committee on government corporations and public enterprises which is looking into the fund mess at Philcomsat Holdings Corp. (PHC), together with the committee on public services headed by Sen. Joker Arroyo.

Several PHC officials have also been issued arrest warrants by the Senate. They are Benito Araneta, board chairman; Philip Brodett, director and vice president; Manuel Andal, treasurer; and directors Julio Jalandoni Luis Lokin Jr. They were not at their office in Makati when Senare security sought to serve the warrants.

Gordon said he hoped other PCGG officials would show up.

"Sana … yung ibang mga commissioners na hindi pa dumadating, imbes na nagtatago sila, they should follow the sample of their chairman (Sabio)," Gordon said.

"Dapat magpakalalaki… kung ako ang kasama ni chairman, the man that I think I am, I would go, I would go beside my chairman," he added. "Hindi yung sasabihin mo na you’re fighting, which is very, very defiant and very arrogant when in fact you’re hiding," he said.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said Abcede is reputedly a gambler who frequents casinos at night.

"(So) we know where to find him," Enrile said.

Enrile also said Abcede is protecting the group of Araneta because of the perks he enjoyed, including a brand new Toyota Camry worth P1.7 million.

The Gordon panel has discovered that the Toyota Camry was delivered at Abcede’s house on Amorsolo st. in Makati City sometime in August.

Gordon has said the vehicle was tantamount to a bribe.

LIBEL CASE

Enrile said he is mulling a libel suit against Abcede for tagging him a "Marcos crony."
Enrile said while he held several positions during the administration of the President Ferdinand Marcos, this did not necessarily mean he was a Marcos crony. An investigation conducted during the Aquino administration did not prove him a crony, he said.

Enrile said Abcede recently met with him and his daughter Katrina at the Manila Peninsula. In that meeting, Enrile said, Abcede offered positions at the Philcomsat.

Enrile has told the Senate his family indirectly owns interest in Philcomsat. The Enriles own 6.6 percent of Philippine Overseas Telecommunications Corp., a firm that is 100 percent owned by Philcomsat. PHC, on the other hand, is 80 percent owned by Philcomsat.

Gordon said he might ask the justice department and the Bureau of Immigration to issue hold departure order against the PCGG and PHC officials who are subject of the Senate’s arrest order.

"Si (Ricardo) Abcede ang tatamaan dito," Gordon said.

He said he will formally raise the proposal during today’s resumption of hearing.
Gordon said the PCGG, which has been in existence for almost two decades, has failed in its mission, particularly the recovery of the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

"Unfortunately, these commissioners are good only for commissions," Gordon said.
CASE GOES TO SC

Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court to compel the Senate to present Sabio before the tribunal and to justify his arrest and imprisonment.

In a 63-page petition for habeas corpus, PCGG legal department director Jay Miguel assailed the legality of Sabio’s detention.

Miguel also asked the high court to nullify all orders and issuances of the Senate relative to Sabio’s detention and to permanently restrain the Senate from ordering his arrest and detention.

The pleading was basically the same in content as the petition for certiorari that the PCGG filed on Tuesday.

HIGHLY IRREGULAR

The PCGG said the inquiries are highly irregular with the participation of Enrile who has minority interest in Philcomsat.

"The matter subject of the inquiries cover ill-gotten wealth cases instituted by the Republic wherein respondent Senator Enrile was impleaded as a principal defendant. Being a principal defendant in the aforementioned cases, and given his clear pecuniary interest in the corporations subject of the inquiries of the Senate committees, Senator Enrile’s membership and active participation in the proceedings thereof are irregular," petitioners said.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez disputed the statement of Senator Joker Arroyo that EO 1 has been repealed by the 1987 Constitution.

"I don’t think it has been repealed. If at all the Constitution may have to be construed in connection with that EO but there is no specific pronouncement that I know," he said.

Gonzalez, however, said Malacanang would not meddle in the controversy because the PCGG officials have not invoked executive privilege, only EO 1.

"I don’t think it involves the executive privilege because what is invoked is EO 1, an executive order that was issued specifically for PCGG. And it is not GMA who issued that. That is now being litigated in SC, that is actually sub judice," he added.

Gonzalez further said he does not believe that a constitutional crisis would ensue because of Sabio’s arrest.

"I don’t see that it would aggravate that far because this is now a matter on whether EO I has been repealed or not or whether PCGG can invoke EO No. 1. As long as we will respect SC decision. I don’t think it will take a long time," he said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said they fully support Sabio and the other PCGG officials who invoked EO 1.

ABNORMAL BP

Sabio continued to have abnormal blood pressure up to yesterday morning, according to Dr. Mariano Blancia, Senate medical director.

Blancia said Sabio’s blood pressure shot up to 140/100 from Tuesday night’s 130/90.
He said his team and the physician of Sabio agreed that the PCGG chief should be taken to a hospital.

"It’s better for him to stay in the hospital," Blancia said.
Gordon said the Senate panel would not object to the doctors’ recommendation. He said it is Sabio who refuses to be taken to a hospital.

"It’s up to him. There’s no objection from any member of the committee," he said.

Blancia confirmed that the 70-year old Sabio refuses to be hospitalized. – With Dennis Gadil, Evangeline de Vera and Jocelyn Montemayor