Senators unsure on how to tackle ethics complaint vs. them

If the complaint is filed against the judges themselves, who will judge them? This seems to be the problem of the 23 sitting senators who are facing an ethics complaint filed by the anti-crime group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Monday. The complaint was filed in connection with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile's admission that he gave additional funds for operating expenses amounting to P1.6 million to selected senators last December. VACC representative Dante Jimenez said they are leaving it to the senators—despite being the respondents—to conduct the investigation on the issue. In an interview with GMA News Online on Tuesday, ethics committee member Sen. Gregorio Honasan said he, along with all senator-respondents, will have to inhibit from tackling the complaint. "Who is now free from insinuations of conflict of interest? So lahat kami mag-iinhibit?" he said. "Who will resolve this, the VACC? Do they have public accountability and responsibility? No because I don't see an electoral mandate for any of them," he added. For his part, Senate ethics committee chair and Senate Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said they "have no choice but to take up all of the complaints." "But kung lahat kami akusado we will have to find out how we will have a credible investigation," he told reporters in a separate interview. Honasan, however, said he was "happy that more of our people are getting involved" in issues. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News