Hearing on Mike’s complaint
against Cayetano deferred
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE House committee on ethics yesterday deferred its hearing
on the "improper conduct’ case filed by the the
family of President Arroyo against Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano
(NP, Taguig-Pateros).
The decision immediately drew flak from
the minority bloc which said the move was aimed at giving
presidential husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo
a chance to fortify the complaint.
The panel chaired by Rep. Roberto Cajes
(Lakas, Bohol) approved the motion of Rep. Harlin Abayon
(LP, Northern Samar) to reschedule the hearing on Oct. 3
after party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle
Against Corruption complained that some members of the minority
only recently received copies of the complaint.
Abayon said he made the motion out of his
"sympathy" to Villanueva.
Majority leader Prospero Nograles, who
was sipping coffee at the sidelines, seconded the motion.
The 22-page complaint, filed by Mr. Arroyo,
his son Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo (Lakas, Pampanga) and Rep.
Ignacio Arroyo (Kampi, Negros Oriental), accuses Cayetano
of violations of the Revised Penal Code and the House Rules
for exhibiting "improper conduct" when he accused
the first family of hiding a multi-million dollar bank account
at the Hypo-und Vereinsbank in Germany.
The complaint needs a two-thirds vote in
plenary to suspend or expel Cayetano.
Rep. Roilo Golez (Ind., Parañaque)
said the move of the majority was "puzzling."
House rules prohibit the panel from entertaining
any complaint of the same nature with any complaint filed
in court. Mr. Arroyo has filed a P30 million libel suit
against Cayetano.
"My concern is that we might be dealing
with a continually amended complaint, a work in process
that is, which would be difficult to deliberate on. We are
ready to discuss now. Why are they not? Is there a hidden
agenda? Did they find the complaint weak or defective and
need to rework it?" Golez told reporters.
Minority leader Francis Escudero said the
majority’s move was an obvious sign of its desire
to harass and get back at Cayetano, a deputy minority leader.
"Nagpapakita ito na hilaw ang kanilang
complaint kaya pinag-uusapan ang amendment," he said.
– Wendell Vigilia
