Kampi not yet off the hook over bribe attempt – Beltran

The administration party, Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) is not yet off the hook even after its chairman, Ronaldo Puno disowned Francis Ver who was accused of bribing congressmen in exchange for endorsing a weak impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran said on Tuesday. In a statement, Beltran said he would push for an investigation that would get into the bottom of the alleged bribery attempt, to find out who were behind Ver. In Tuesday’s privilege speech, Beltran claimed that Ver, deputy secretary general of Kampi, offered him P2-million last Friday in exchange for endorsing an impeachment complaint against Mrs Arroyo. Ver denied Beltran's allegation and said that he just went to Congress to monitor the political moves of lawmakers. "Whoever this Ver is, he should be investigated and questioned on this matter. On whose authority and on whose money did he embark on his bribery spree? This is not something that should not be dismissed lightly," Beltran said. On Tuesday, Puno, who is also presidential political adviser, disassociated Kampi from Ver’s activities at the House of Representatives, particularly Ver's alleged bribe offer. “I immediately thought that whoever did that needs to have his head examined because you know, of all people, if you are going to bribe Ka Bel, it's like bribing the Pope. So that action is really crazy and whoever does that needs to take a long rest in a recuperating facility somewhere," Puno told reporters in Malacañang. Asked if he would fire Ver as Kampi deputy secretary, Puno said: “Well I told you to refer to him as already ex-secretary." However, Beltran said he was not convinced of Puno’s statements, because “Ver could not have acted on his own initiative on something so controversial as this." “Kampi's mandate, strategies and tactics to protect President Arroyo have been severely put into question because of this. The public will be more wary and watchful of Kampi's moves to shield the President from political liability and criminal accountability," he said. - GMANews.TV