BY JP LOPEZ
ADMINISTRATION Sen. Joker Arroyo, in a
personal and collective privilege speech yesterday, accused Sen.
Panfilo Lacson of "intellectual dishonesty" over his allegations
of corruption in the Senate in relation to the double
appropriation in the 2008 national budget for the C-5 extension
project.
In a press conference before delivering his
speech, Arroyo said the Senate’s reputation as an institution
and the integrity of its proceedings are the main casualties
from Lacson’s repeated attacks against Senate President Manuel
Villar.
"Is Sen. Lacson saying only he was right and
the rest of the 236 congressmen and the 22 senators who approved
the budget wrong?"
He also dared Lacson to say exactly where
corruption has been committed at the Senate.
In a plenary presided by Senate President
pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Arroyo said, "We cannot
overemphasize the need for restraint, the need for courtesy,
that no matter what we say or do, we think about the words we
use."
Villar did not take part in yesterday’s
session and shied away from media.
Arroyo also clarified that the P200 million
allotted for the C-5 project was an "additional funding" since
it was included in the amended General Appropriations Act.
"Oh, come on, wake up. An additional amount
is an amendment. The Constitution is very clear. We are expected
to amend or to introduce amendments. (If not) then we become a
rubber stamp of the President," Arroyo said.
On Monday, Lacson said the trail of
congressional insertions led him to Villar and that his expose
had nothing to do with the latter’s intention to run for
president in 2010.
Arroyo said he would oppose the proposal of
his colleagues to investigate Lacson’s allegations.
"Investigation is an admission that we are
engaged or have engaged in corrupt practices, which I cannot
accept," he declared.
He said it is time that Lacson be exposed as
a "blabbering twister" who "made a mountain out of a molehill."
After Arroyo’s speech, Sen. Alan Peter
Cayetano, a party mate of Villar in the Nacionalista Party, also
stood up to deny the allegations of Lacson.
But before Cayetano could finish his speech,
Sen. Jamby Madrigal butted in and reminded the Senate President
of an agreement that after the majority speaks, the member of
the minority would follow.
But Cayetano clarified that his name was
besmirched during Lacson’s speech and it is his right, according
to Senate rules to stand on personal and collective privilege.
At this point, Madrigal in a high-pitched
voice said "this is a corrupt act," forcing Estrada to call for
a recess.
At the resumption, the debate was put to a
vote and the Senate rules prevailed over the agreement,
prompting members of the minority, except for minority leader
Aquilino Pimentel Jr., to walk out.
Cayetano proceeded with his speech, accusing
Lacson of trying to take out of context his earlier statement
that the P200 million is just "loose change."
"Mr. President, I’m very sensitive to that. I
went to banks and there is no loose change amounting to P200
million. What I said was (citing the transcript of interview by
reporters) the P200 million is just a loose change to the P20
billion made by Senator Villar," Cayetano said, referring to the
income "legally and morally" made by Villar in his business
ventures.
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, chair of the
committee on finance, also maintained that there was nothing
irregular with the double entry of P200 million for the road
project.
Nevertheless Enrile favored the investigation
by the Senate committee of the whole on Lacson’s allegation.
"I want to satisfy the public, I want to satisfy the
opposition. They want a public hearing, I want to clarify the
matter," he added.
