Press Release
February 5, 2008

KIKO: ARREST ORDER AGAINST NERI MAY BE EFFECTED
ANYWHERE IN THE PHILIPPINES

"Chairman Sabio was not in the Senate when he was arrested. He was arrested in his office if I'm not mistaken. Pareho ang application ditto kay Neri. He does not have to be in the senate premises for him to be arrested." --- Kiko

The Senate arrest order issued against Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Romulo Neri may be effected anywhere in the Philippines since holding otherwise would render a very narrow view of the Legislature's Constitutional power of oversight in aid of legislation, Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan today said.

"Unang-una maliwanag sa aming rules na pwede nating i-cite in comtempt ang sino mang hindi sumunod sa lawful order sa pagharap sa ating mga hearing. 'Pag wala tayong kapangyarihang ganito tulad ng sinasabi nila at illegal ang ginagawa natin, eh magsara na lang ang Senado. Dahil wala nang haharap ditto at hindi na tayo makakapagbalangkas ng mga batas base sa sasabihin ng ating mga iniimbita o di kaya'y yung ating sinasabubpoena. So hindi tama yung sinasabi nila na mali itong arrest order na ito. Maliwanag, sinabi na ng Korte Suprema sa ilang pagkakataon sa Sabio case pati na rin sa Standard Charter Bank case na may kapangyarihan kaming i-cite in contempt at idetain itong mga hindi sumusunod sa ating lawful summons. So mali itong sinasabi ng kanilang mga abugado na marahil akala siguro ng iba diyan, akala siguro na ito ay court of law. Iba ang application ng rules of court sa Senado at iba rin syempre rin ang application sa hukom. Hindi mo pupuedeng ihambing ang rules of court sa rules of the Senate. Kung walang senate rules, saka lang papasok ang rules of court. So mali ang interpretasyon na dapat bigyang-diin itong rules of court. Ang mangingibabaw ay ang senate rules. At may kapangyarihan kaming arestuhin ang sinumang hindi sumusunod sa ating subpoena o sa ating summons.

Neri's lawyers had earlier said that the arrest order against their client is only effective within Senate premises, and only if he refuses to answer, citing the Rules of Court.

"Chairman Sabio was not in the Senate when he was arrested. He was arrested in his office. Pareho ang application ditto kay Neri. He does not have to be in the senate premises for him to be arrested. The Senate has its own procedure, and the Rules of Court must not be used to evade our crusade to know the truth. At most, the Rules of Court may only be applied suppletorily to our own Senate rules," Kiko quips. "I am advising Chairman Neri to just prepare and present himself before the Senate. The arrest order was issued to compel him to do the right thing."

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