JV Ejercito: At least half of ethics raps filed in Senate are non-compliant

At least half of the complaints currently pending before the Senate committee on ethics and privileges will be returned to their proponents after these were found to be non-compliant with filing requirements, panel chairperson Senator JV Ejercito said Tuesday. 

Ejercito said this after the committee was convened in the morning to process the nine pending complaints on a "first-in, first-out" basis.

He said copies of Docket No. 1, related to the complaint filed against a senator whom he did not identify, were distributed. This first docket, he pointed out, met filing requirements. 

"We have already discussed Docket No. 1 and we already also checked on the others kung sino 'yung nagko-comply sa substance and form (to see which have already complied with substance and form). So, marami doon (So, many of them), some are not compliant, so we shall be returning them to the complainants," Ejercito said in an ambush interview. 

"Pero 'yung (But the) Docket No. 1 was found to be in form and substance. So we will now furnish the copy to the respondent so that… he or she can respond," he added.

Asked what were the problems in the other complaints, Ejercito said, "May mga kulang talaga sila kasi mayroon tayong checklist. 'Pag hindi siya nag-ano, we will submit it back."

(They failed to meet the requirements. We have a checklist. If they do not comply, we will submit it back.)

Ejercito also reiterated that any member of the committee who is facing a complaint will not take part in discussions on his or her case. A replacement from their own bloc will be designated to maintain quorum and continuity in the proceedings.

Ejercito also committed to inhibit when his own case is taken up by the committee. 

Some of the known complaints were filed against Senators Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Risa Hontiveros, Francis "Chiz" Escudero, and Ejercito himself.

The next meeting of the ethics committee is set on Monday, May 4. — VDV, GMA News