Ethics complaint filed vs. Hontiveros over alleged witness tampering

Former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras and two other lawyers on Thursday filed a complaint against Senator Risa Hontiveros with the Senate Office of the Secretary General for alleged witness tampering, a complaint the senator dubbed as “recycled lies.” 

In a 13-page complaint affidavit, Paras and lawyers Manny Luna and Ferdinand Topacio asked the Senate to punish Hontiveros for disorderly behavior, including a suspension or expulsion from the Senate, if necessary. 

“No less than the integrity of the Senate is at stake in this complaint where the ‘disorderly behavior’ of a Senator is being raised and complained of,” the complainants said.

They cited the case of Michael Maurillo or alias Rene, the man who claimed he was influenced to testify against former President Rodrigo Duterte and others.

In one video posted on Facebook, Maurillo claimed that Hontiveros made him speak against President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte, and detained pastor Apollo Quiboloy. 

Maurillo previously testified in a Senate hearing that Quiboloy hurt him and that he was sexually abused by several KOJC members. He also said he witnessed the Dutertes carrying firearms when visiting Quiboloy.

The senator has denied these allegations and called them lies, saying her office has evidence to prove that the statements were fabricated. Hontiveros previously said she believes Maurillo was "coerced or paid off” in issuing his statements.

Aside from this, the complainants said Hontiveros took custody of witnesses in the killing of Kian De Los Santos in 2017. Paras previously filed a complaint over this against Hontiveros with the Office of the Ombudsman.

“We respectfully allege that the above actions of Senator Hontiveros-Baraquel constitute ‘disorderly behavior,’ a subject proper for investigation by the Senate pursuant to Article VI, Section 16(3) of the 1987 Constitution,” they said.

‘Recycled lies’ 

Hontiveros, for her part, called the complaint “recycled lies and harassment,” believing that someone is behind the initiative. 

“[I’m] bothered in the sense na ang dami dami naming trabaho ginagawa dito sa Senate, may mga drama pa diyan. Pero sige lang, hindi po kami magpapa-distract diyan. Basta pagka-file nila, babasahin namin ang complaint, at haharapin namin nang buong buo,” the senator said. 

(I'm bothered in the sense that we have a lot of work to do here in the Senate, but there are dramas such as this. But that's okay, we won't be distracted by that. Once they file the complaint, we will read it, and we will face it head-on.) 

Hontiveros also said that her camp has evidence to prove the veracity of the statements of the witnesses and whistleblowers presented during the previous hearings of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, which she leads as chairperson. 

“Kaya’t panatag ako na buong buo kong mahahaharap ang anumang detalye ng complaint nila kung ‘yan ang sinasabi nila na grounds nila. Ewan ko kung sino ang guilty sa witness tampering, hindi ata ako,” she said. 

(That's why I'm confident that I can fully face any details of their complaint. I don't know who is guilty of witness tampering, it's not me.) 

She also affirmed that it is not final yet whether Senator Robin Padilla will be the chairman of the Senate committee on ethics and privileges, because the panel has not been constituted yet. 

Padilla is a member of the Duterte-backed PDP Laban, which Topacio also serves as deputy spokesperson. 

“I always presume regularity, good faith on the part of sinuman sa amin ang mag-chair ng alin mang komite…Usually, hindi miyembro ng majority ang nagche-chair ng Ethics, but that’s just usual. In the end, kung sino ang i-elect na chair ng kumite, siya ang magche-chair,” Hontiveros explained. 

(I always presume regularity, good faith on the part of any senator who chairs any committee… But usually, a member of the majority bloc does not usually chair the Ethics committee, but that's just usual. In the end, whoever is elected, he or she will be the chair of the committee.)

Hontiveros previously filed a cyberlibel complaint against Maurillo and others with the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation over the incident.—LDF, GMA Integrated News