Senate blue ribbon allows resource person's lawyer to submit memorandum vs. allegations made during probe

Published October 20, 2022 10:11 AM By HANA BORDEY,GMA News

The Senate blue ribbon committee on Wednesday introduced a new rule allowing resource persons' legal counsel to submit a memorandum countering allegations made during the panel's investigation.

"Lawyers now will have a role in this committee aside from giving advice to your clients, you will now be authorized to participate through submission of the  proper memorandum or memoranda," committee chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino said in his opening statement.

"So effective today this committee is giving an order sua sponte (voluntarily)," he added.

"All parties, if they so desire through counsel, may file after the termination of today's hearing... a memorandum or memoranda containing statements or arguments not given before the committee on record or to counter any statement given by a witness or a resource person that may damage or implicate your client on record within 15 days from today non-extendible."

The memorandum should be signed by the legal counsel as well as the resource person, Tolentino said.

On Tuesday, Tolentino explained that this rule would allow lawyers to help their clients as the resource persons may be prosecuted after the investigations.

“Itong blue ribbon kasi merong ipo-prosecute, puwedeng makulong, meron 'yung iba sinasabi damage to their reputation. Bibigyan na natin ng katungkulan yung mga abogado na tulungan sila," Tolentino said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

Tolentino introduced the new rule during the panel's investigation into the reported outdated and pricey laptops procured by the Department of Budget and Management Procurement Service (PS-DBM) for the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2021. —KBK, GMA News

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