Top gov't lawyer advises PCGG execs to attend Senate hearings

Fugitive officials of the Presidential Commission on Good Government were urged Thursday by the government's top lawyer to show good faith by attending and testifying at Senate hearings. The advice was given by Solicitor General Antonio Eduardo Nachura who said in a radio interview that it would be a sign of good faith if "some" of the commissioners attend the hearings to drive home the point that they are not violating the law. "If the Senate calls a hearing, it would be advisable if some of them attend, just to show they do not deliberately violate the law," Nachura, speaking in Filipino, said in an interview on dzRH radio Thursday. The Senate had arrested PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio Tuesday for repeated snubs of hearings as his colleagues hid to evade two arrest teams formed by the legislative body. The arrest teams are still searching for PCGG Commissioners Narciso Nario, Ricardo Abcede, Nicasio Conti, and Tereso Javier. One of them said that they will wait for the Supreme Court to rule on whether the Senate's arrest order for them is valid. They had asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the Senate's arrest orders. When asked if he advised Commissioner Ricardo Abcede and the other commissioners to remain scarce while waiting for the Supreme Court to keep hiding while their petition is pending, Nachura said: "No, no, that is not the case." In another radio interview, Nachura said that the commissioners are still technically fugitives. But he maintained that the PCGG commissioners, including detained Chairman Camilo Sabio, are still entitled to "certain immunities" given by Executive Order No. 1. He argued that there has been no legislation revoking that EO issued by then President Corazon Aquino, shortly after she was catapulted to power in the EDSA-1 revolution. The Office of the Solicitor General invoked the same argument in petitioning the Supreme Court Wednesday to order the Senate to release Sabio, whom the Senate arrested Tuesday. Nachura hopes to question the basis of order of contempt and issuance of arrest. "The criminal action is supposed to be a violation of a criminal law. There is no legal remedy to prevent the Senate to continue the detention of Sabio other than a court ruling. We hope this crisis be resolved soon hope that guidelines will be laid down by the court,"Nachura said in a phone interview aired over a television station. Sabio, who spent two nights in detention at the Senate clinic, remains defiant and said he will not give any information at the Senate hearing, and that he was willing to stay in detention "until Kingdom come."-GMANews.TV