Miriam walks out of CA hearing

By B AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News

Published September 10, 2014 11:34am

(Updated 4:19 p.m.) Lung cancer-stricken Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Wednesday walked out of the hearing of the Commission on Appointments foreign affairs committee after Rep. Rodolfo Farinas questioned the proceedings due to lack of quorum.

Santiago, chair of the committee, was already hearing the nomination of Nathaniel Imperial, Chief of Mission, Class II, as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the State of Israel when Farinas raised the issue.

Fariñas said the committee lacked quorum to proceed with the hearing but Santiago said the presence of the committee chairperson was enough to consist a quorum, citing Article 6, Section 2 of the Rules of the CA.

“The presence of the chair; or vice-chair; or at least three members shall be sufficient for conducting public hearings, and acting on motions and other incidents,” she said.

"Whether you uphold me or not, I will proceed with the hearing. Ako lang mag-isa i can make a motion and pass it," she said.

Farinas, however, insisted on the lack of quorum.

"You are questioning my authority? I walk out of this hearing. Matagal nang ganito ang proceedings. Ngayon, sisirain mo?" Santiago said.

She then adjourned the hearing and walked out of the room.

Middle finger

But it seemed that even before proceeding to the CA hearing, Santiago was already in a feisty mode.

Upon arriving at the Senate, Santiago told reporters: "I'm here and I'm ready to punch my enemies on the nose."

"Those involved in the plunder issue and the Makati building issue are the reasons why God created the middle finger," she added.

The senator also ordered a cameraman of a television network to leave the hearing after speaking loudly.

But it was evident during the hearing that Santiago was catching her breath while talking.

In a press conference after she walked out of the hearing, Santiago said she was still in partial recovery and expected to return to her Senate duties no earlier than October 20.

She said she attended the hearing because there were a lot of nominees who needed to be confirmed. A total of 48 ambassadors and foreign service officers were on the list.

The hearing was reset on September 24.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV asked Santiago to let him preside over the CA hearing, being the committee’s vice chairman, but the lady senator refused.

Trillanes said Santiago told him that she would ask the Senate to give an opinion on the issue.

“Si Senator Miriam will ask the Senate to issue an opinion on what we are trying to resolve today. The primary issue is quorum lang naman. Humihing tayo ng dispensa sa mga appointees na andito ngayon pero sinasabi namin na if some of them would really need to go para magampanan yung trabaho nila, they can do that provided magbigay sila ng communication dito sa CA to justify their absence,” he told reporters.

Trillanes and Cagayan De Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez arrived at the Senate when Santiago was already holding the press conference. They attended the submission of the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Malacanang.

Rodriguez personally apologized to Santiago for being late for the hearing.

The hearing was supposed to be at 10 in the morning by Santiago rescheduled it to 11 am due to heavy rains but when they started only Santiago was present and Farinas came minutes later.

She added that if there is anything that cancer has not changed, "it is my temper." — RSJ/NB, GMA News

Tags: miriamdefensorsantiago