Sabio freed 2 days for medical check-up - Malaya 09.19.2006

BY DENNIS GADIL

PRESIDENTIAL Commission on Good Government chair Camilo Sabio was allowed yesterday by the Senate to have a check-up at the Makati Medical Center for two days starting today.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises, said Sabio will be accompanied by officers from the Office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms led by security chief Jose Balajadia Jr.

"He can leave tonight," he said.

Gordon said he would consider giving Sabio a "conditional release."

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile posed no objection to the motion filed by Sabio’s lawyer Ermin Louie Miguel for the PCGG chief’s temporary release to undergo medical check-up.

Sabio said he will be back immediately. "It’s my word of honor," he told reporters.

"I’m not yet released," he said.

Sabio said he will be back Wednesday.

The Supreme Court has directed the Senate to produce Sabio at its hearing Thursday on the latter’s petition for habeas corpus.

Sabio will check in at around 1 p.m. today and will check out noon the next day.

Sabio was arrested last week at his PCGG office in Mandaluyong on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Gordon’s committee.

In yesterday’s hearing, Sabio said he did not encourage PCGG commissioners to defy the Senate’s warrants of arrest.

Sabio likewise thanked the Senate panel for allowing him to undergo a medical check-up.

Gordon wished him well, saying, "I hope your check-up will be all right. I remain your friend."

Sabio replied: "I will remain your friend, your honor."

Gordon suspended the hearing until Sabio returns from his check-up.

He said his panel expects to hear soon the testimony of Benito Araneta, chair of Philcomsat Holdings Corp. (PHC).

PHC is the subject of the Senate probe for allegedly being mismanaged by PCGG through its parent firm, Philippine Overseas Telecommunications Corp. (POTC), and subsidiary Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat). Both POTC and Philcomsat are sequestered while PHC is publicly listed.

Former justice secretary Serafin Cuevas, Araneta’s lawyer, said his client will show up once he returns from abroad.

Araneta reportedly was in President Arroyo’s entourage which traveled to Europe, Cuba and Hawaii.

Gordon said he received "overtures" from other "wanted" PCGG officials.

"There are overtures from PCGG officials who would like to appear but pinipigilan daw sila," he said.

He said he received the calls shortly before noon of Monday.

Victor Africa, president and chair of Philcomsat, told the Senate panel that it is practically the PCGG that is blocking the owners’ efforts to regain control of PHC.

Africa said the factions contesting control of PHC have united the "owners’ group."

He said the "owners’ group" is composed of five of the six families which have a controlling stake in the PHC, namely the Africas, Ilusorios, Benedictos, Enriles and Pobladors.

Africa said the "owners’ group" is pitted against the group of former Ambassador Manuel Nieto Jr, president and chief executive officer of PHC.

He said the family of Nieto has denied association with the current management which claims to represent the "Nieto-PCGG faction." This leaves the PCGG as the sole block to a takeover by the owners.

Enrique Locsin, PHC vice president and acting board chair, told the Senate panel that the Africa-Bildner group was actually responsible for the dissipation of Philcomsat and POTC assets.

Bildner is Philcomsat president Erlinda Bildner, a daughter of the late Potenciano Ilusurio.
Locsin said the Senate should stop wasting its time engaging in a fishing expedition through the prodding of the Africa-Bildner group.

He said it was the Africa-Bildner faction which approved the sale of a P58 million Cessna plane, a P60 million helicopter, a number of villas and a lot in Cavite, the acquisition of the Montemar beach resort in Bataan and the soured investment in Oriental Petroleum shares worth P600 million. The transactions took place between mid-1990s to early 2000.

Africa and Bildner said the PCGG was aware of the transactions and its nominees approved the deals.

"The PCGG was in the board of directors," Africa said.

"The PCGG was active during those times," Bildner said.

Bildner said they sold the aircraft because it proved too costly to maintain.

She said the rest of the proceeds from the sale were used to finance Philcomsat’s retrenchment program, which downsized its 137 manpower to 22.