Saguisag, Arroyo score Blue Ribbon panel for 'violating' Mayor Binay's human rights

Former senators Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag scored what they called abuses of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee over its probe of corruption allegations Vice President Jejomar Binay, his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, and other city officials.

 

The two men said that they were speaking in their capacity as human rights lawyers and not as members of the younger Binay's legal team.

 

"We are here not as lawyers of Mayor Binay, but as members of Mabini, founded in 1980, it’s 35 years ago, dedicated to human rights, civil liberties and any kind of or any form of oppression," said Arroyo in a press conference after a hearing that say Mayor Binay physically dragged into the Senate session hall after being arrested for being cited in contempt.

 

"Our role here is to prevent violation of the Constitution, violations of human rights, violations of civil liberties and downgrading of governance. We’ve noticed that it is increasing and we are disturbed. What is happening now is there is a tendency to forget our rights and a tendency of government institutions to trample the rights of the citizens," added Arroyo.

 

Before entering politics, Vice President Binay along with Arroyo and Saguisag were human rights lawyers for the Movement for the Advancement of Brotherhood, Integrity, Nationalism and Independence (Mabini), which provided legal assistance during the Martial Law regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

 

Former Blue Ribbon chairman

 

The younger Binay was released after being brought to the session hall, a development welcomed by his lawyers. But Arroyo, who served in the Senate from 2001 to 2010, said that the subcommittee chaired by Sen. Koko Pimentel "committed some violations."

 

"But still we have noticed that there are a lot of instances where the committee committed some violations, I should know because I’m the chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee for eight years, 2001 to 2008," he said.

 

Arroyo noted that the subcommittee was remiss in not granting Binay's request to have copies of the questions ahead of hearings.

 

"The rules of the Blue Ribbon says in effect that as far as practicable, the resource person should be asked to submit a written statement of what they will say. It has not been followed, not one instance. The rules also say that those resource persons can ask advance questions, it was denied, that's in the rules," he said.

 

He added the subcommittee was also not the impartial tribunal that it ought to be.

 

"Some participating members have already pronounced as guilty some of the respondents. How can anyone, you are a judge hearing a case, you cannot make a pronouncement that one is guilty and then hear the case. You must be a neutral party," said Arroyo.

 

He also questioned how three members — Pimentel, Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, and Sen. Antonio Trillanes — were allowed to speak for the rest of the members of the Blue Ribbon committee. 

 

"The Blue Ribbon committee is composed of 20 members, at present three are detained so there are still 17. Among the 17 how many participated, only three, how about the other 14? They have not participated. That’s why Mabini is now trying to tell them, in effect, that they are wrong, that they should revise their rules to make it  consistent with due process of the law," he said.

 

Reminiscent of Martial Law

 

Saguisag, for his part, said the proceedings were reminiscent of Martial Law.

 

"Nandito po kami bilang mga kasapi ng Mabini dahil sa mga natutunghayan namin na ginagawa ng Lupon ng Lasong Bughaw, parang nagmbubulaga. Yun ang nangyayari dito dahil humihingi lamang si Mayor kung ano ang central point, outer limits (of the hearing). I understand na na-deny yun. We came here dahil ang tingin namin talagang parang umiiral na naman ang walang habag na batas militar sa Senado," he said.

 

He said a witness should not be called into a hearing to indict himself.

 

"Kung tatawagin ka to use your own mouth as a tool of your own condemnation, that represented inquisition. Kung kumbidahin si Saguisag at may possibility na ako ay mai-indict then I should be given qualified immunity pero hindi yun ang nangyayari kundi investigation in aid of prosecution. Hindi yun ang diwa ng Saligang Batas," he said.

 

He said they were just glad that Thursday’s hearing ended the way it did. 

 

"There is a better way of handling this proceedings kasi talagang adversarial in the past. What have we seen? Panahon namin nung 1987, someone who thought he was treated harshly and rudely took his own life. In 2010, ganun din ang nangyari, another Cabinet member and there were others na naging biktima ng mga investigations in aid of prosecution, in aid of election or reelection," he said. —JST, GMA News