Press Release
December 4, 2008

Senators agree to amend Senate rules on contempt - Gordon

Senators have agreed to amend the Senate rules on the issuance of contempt orders that would remove difficulties they encounter in ferreting out the truth from witnesses attending their investigations.

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon today disclosed that eleven senators have agreed, during their recent caucus, to amend the rules of the Senate and its blue ribbon committee on contempt.

"We have agreed to introduce changes in both the Senate rules and the rules of the blue ribbon committee on contempt to make it more possible for us to compel witnesses into revealing what they knew about the misconduct of a government official or employee under investigation," he said.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said the committee rules have to be amended to allow senators presiding a hearing to immediately, right there and then, cite for contempt a witness who is being evasive in a hearing.

"This will serve as a bench warrant which would make it easier for us to prompt a witness into disclosing the truth since the threat of being cited for contempt hangs over the head of witnesses who are evasive or who are trying to run circles around the senators," he said.

"Now there is no need to come up with a vote of a majority of a committee's members before we could issue a contempt order. During a hearing, a witness who is obviously lying or trying to spin tales, will be cited for contempt, right there and then," he added.

Gordon said he will introduce the amendatory measure in a Senate resolution he intends to file. The proposed measure is expected to be referred to the Senate rules committee and deliberated and voted upon during the senators' plenary session.

The proposed amendment to the rules governing the Senate's contempt was among the consensus reached among majority senators deliberating on contempt order imposed against former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante.

Bolante has been cited for contempt and ordered arrested after he incurred the ire of the members of the blue ribbon committee for his repeated evasive answers on his alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

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