Davide to decide on scope of Truth Commission probe

Retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. will be the one to decide the scope of the Truth Commission’s investigation, Malacañang said. This was announced by Malacañang on Monday after Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales asked the commission, to be headed by Davide, to investigate corruption scandals in the past administrations. "It's with Chief Justice Davide. He has been given the authority to form the parameters of the Truth Commission — what the composition is, what will be the powers — and being a former Chief Justice, he would be in the best position to define the parameters," presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told Palace reporters in an interview Monday. Lacierda said the executive branch would be fully supportive of Davide, who became chief justice during the Arroyo administration. President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is forming the Truth Commission to resolve the corruption controversies that hounded the nine-year rule of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Consistency On Sunday, Rosales said the Aquino government should be “consistent" and probe other past administrations as well. "Even former presidents who allegedly committed similar mistakes during their administration should be submitted for investigation," Rosales said. President Aquino's mother, the late Corazon "Cory" Aquino, was herself a former president, having reigned from 1986 to 1992. She died of colon cancer August last year. Lacierda said Malacañang would inform Davide of Rosales' suggestion, but the final decision would be left to the former chief justice. "If you ask me, yes, it would be good to also investigate [other past administrations] but it’s up to Chief Justice Davide to define the parameters. As of now, he has been given free rein to head the Truth Commission and he will also be given free rein to define what it would involve," he said. Respect Lacierda said the administration would respect whatever findings the Truth Commission will eventually come up with, even if it clears Arroyo of wrongdoing. "Everybody is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty so ang ginagawa ngayon ay to collect sufficient evidence. The important thing is that once evidence is collected, gathered, it will be so strong that the Ombudsman cannot dismiss the case. That is the goal," he said. Controversies that hounded the Arroyo administration include the “Hello, Garci" scandal in 2005, where she was accused of manipulating the results of the previous year’s elections; the P728-million fertilizer fund scam where money for poor farmers was allegedly diverted to her campaign kitty in the 2004 polls; and the $329-million broadband deal that was scuttled after whistleblowers alleged the First Couple and other administration allies received millions of pesos in kickbacks. - KBK, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV