House minority to accept leadership of ethics panel | The Philippine Star >> News >> Headlines

House minority to accept leadership of ethics panel The Philippine Star >> News >> Headlines


House minority to accept leadership of ethics panel By Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) Updated July 30, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)
MANILA, Philippines - The minority or opposition bloc in the House of Representatives will accept the offer of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. for one of its members to head the committee on ethics.
The committee’s first task could be to look into the case of Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronaldo Singson, who is facing trial in Hong Kong for alleged possession of illegal drugs.
Hong Kong authorities arrested Singson upon his arrival at the Chek Lap Kok Airport after they found 26 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium on him. He has since been detained.
“We will of course accept it because it was the opposition that recommended to the Speaker that the leadership of the ethics committee be given to it,” Minority Leader Edcel Lagman told the Serye Café’ news forum yesterday.
He said before Belmonte was elected speaker last Monday, he and Belmonte had discussed the chairmanship of the committee on ethics and the committee on good government.
“We recommended that these two committees, as is the practice in many countries, be given to the minority as a way of checking the majority. These committees are also venues for transparency,” he said.
However, he said Belmonte apparently would give the leadership of the good government committee to a member of the majority.
He added that among the members of the opposition, he would most likely suggest that Siquijor Rep. Orlando Fua chair the ethics committee.
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On Wednesday, in talks with reporters, Belmonte revealed his plan to offer the ethics panel to the minority.
“All committee chairmanships, 100 percent of them, go to the majority. But I would like to state here for the first time that in the interest of transparency in the House, it is my intention to turn over the committee on ethics, which has something to do with the internal discipline of the House, to the minority,” he said.
Lagman said the ethics panel could not yet investigate Rep. Singson.
“I think the committee will need a complaint to start an investigation. Even if a complaint is filed, the committee might have to await the result of the trial in Hong Kong, because if the charges are dismissed, there would be nothing to investigate,” he said.
However, the minority leader said the situation would change if Hong Kong convicts Singson.
“Then the committee would have to act even in the absence of a complaint,” he added.
Lagman agreed with Belmonte that as of now, the detained congressman should be presumed innocent and given the benefit of the doubt.
Responding to a question, the minority leader said though Singson is his party mate in Lakas-Kampi, he does not know if he belongs to the majority or minority since he was absent when the election of a speaker was conducted on Monday.
By tradition, those who vote for a winning speaker belong to the majority.
Singson has appeared once in a Hong Kong court, which denied him bail. His next court appearance is scheduled middle of next month.
Television network GMA-7 has reported that Singson’s father, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson, has said his son has admitted possessing illegal drugs to lighten the possible penalties that might be imposed on him.
The congressman is reportedly facing a jail term of three years to eight years and a fine of P3 million to P30 million.
An anti-illegal drugs watchdog has urged the House to investigate Rep. Singson.
Under the rules of the ethics committee of previous Congresses, a complaint from a House member or a private citizen was required for the panel to investigate a congressman or congresswoman for alleged misconduct.
Some House members said the chamber would be put in a bind if Hong Kong convicts Singson.
“Then we will perhaps have to expel him; otherwise, we will be the object of ridicule,” one militant lawmaker said.
Meanwhile, Malacañang warned lawmakers that the arrest of Rep. Singson should serve as a wake-up call not only to the public, but also to all public officials who may be into drugs.
“It’s a wake-up call always (for everybody),” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing, reiterating that Filipinos should always be law-abiding, especially when traveling overseas.
At the same time, he said members of the Aquino Cabinet would welcome any requirement for them to undergo drug testing, for purposes of checking whether members of the official family are using drugs.
“It’s all up to the President if he finds it necessary (for us to undergo drug test). We will do so. We will follow the directive of the President,” Lacierda stressed.
The spokesman refused to issue any statement with regard to the possibility that Singson may be expelled from the House of Representatives, where he is a member on his second term.
“That is a legislative discretion (if they expel Singson) and it is within their province to do that. The Department of Foreign Affairs tried to help Singson, but the family said they can handle the situation,” Lacierda said.