Drilon, Gordon kinastigo sa hindi pagsunod sa SC ruling
Binatikos ni Pharmally Legal Counsel Atty. Ferdinand Topacio sina outgoing senators Franklin Drilon at Richard Gordon sa pagsasabing sa Hunyo 30 pa at hindi sa Hunyo 3 dapat palayain ang Pharmally Executives sa kasong contempt.
Ayon kay Topacio, malinaw sa ruling ng Korte Suprema sa Balag vs. Senate of the Philippines na may limitasyon ang pagpapakulong ng Senado sa kinasuhan ng contempt at dapat itong palayain kapag nag-adjourn na ang Senate session.
Batay sa kalendaryo ng Senado, sinabi ni outgoing Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III na palalayain na sa Hunyo 3 kasabay ng sine die adjournment ng Senado sina Pharmally Executives Linconn Ong at Mohit Dargani na pinatawan ng contempt charge ng Blue Ribbon Committee noong nakaraang taon.
Subalit kinontra ito nina Drilon at Gordon at sinabing sa Hunyo 30 pa ang araw ng pagpapalaya sa dalawa na syang huling araw ng termino ng elected officials bago pumasok ang susunud na administrasyon.
Iginiit ni Topacio na may sistema ng ‘checks and balances’ na dapat sundin nina Drilon at Gordon at hindi dapat manaig ang kanilang pansariling interes.
“We have a system of checks and balances. The Supreme Court has already made a ruling. Senators Drilon and Gordon should accept and abide by that ruling. Congress already determined the adjournment of its third and last session to be June 3. After that, they can no longer tackle business, no more investigation can be had. Clearly, any further detention beyond that is done so merely out of spite,” pahayag ni Topacio.
Ani Topacio, sa kahuli-hulihang sandali ng termino bilang senador ay ipinakikita at pinaninindigan pa nina Drilon at Gordon na makapangyarihan ang mga ito.
“We understand if Senators Drilon and Gordon want to desperately cling on to their dwindling power for as long as possible but the fact is, the Supreme Court has clearly ruled in the Balag case that legislative inquiries, and therefore the power to cite in contempt, arrest and detain that goes with it, is terminated upon the adjournment of its last session”paliwanag ni Topacio
Sina Ong at Dargani ay may amin na buwan nang nakakulong sa Pasay City Jail nang walang kinahaharap na anumang criminal case.
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