'Shabby' treatment of investors scored

Senate guestsdeserve courtesy'

BY DENNIS GADIL

TWO opposition senators yesterday criticized their colleagues for dressing down officials of the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) during the Senate energy panel's hearing last week on the group's objection to amendments to the Electric and Power Industry Reform Act (Epira).

Sen. Francis Escudero, Senate ways and means chair, said he had hoped Juan Ponce Enrile, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Joker Arroyo were discreet in sending their message to the foreign chambers on the issue of interfering in a country's internal affairs, especially in the area of legislation.

"While I can identify with their patriotism, I do not agree with their methods that are a bit high handed to say the least," Escudero said.

Escudero said he does not think foreign investors will bring out their investments "even if they feel slighted."

He said he would have taken a different tack. "I won't judge him (Enrile) but I would have handled it differently."

Hubert D'Aboville, JFC spokesman and president of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, was reading a statement by his group when Enrile butted in and asked him why the JFC asked President Arroyo in a letter to stop any amendments to the Epira law.

Enrile also asked D'Aboville to give him the names of legislators who JFC claimed in its letter to President Arroyo made "unwarranted accusations on bedrock principles recognized by sound industries around the world."

Enrile even berated the foreign executives on national television, telling them: "Get out of the country if you can't live with our institutions."

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he thinks Enrile, Arroyo, and Santiago crossed the line.

"Resource persons invited by the Senate deserve the courtesy of guests. Bullying, cutting, insulting or yelling at them won't help the Senate get the information we need to help us do our legislative work," he said.

Lacson said the JFC's experience at the Senate, broadcast live on a cable TV, may drive away foreign investments.

"Driving them out of the country will put to waste the billions of dollars being spent by our government, both here and abroad, to attract foreign investments and make them stay and continue investing in our country," he said.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II last Saturday described as "overkill" the actuations of the senators against the JFC officials.

Senator Arroyo on Sunday justified their actions saying the JFC erred when it wrote President Arroyo, instead of the Senate, to air their concerns on the Epira.

"They were aware that the bill was pending in Congress. They can write the Senate. But what they did was write the President. Were they engaging in propaganda?" he said.