Senate blue ribbon panel orders arrest of Aytona, Paule and Feshan execs

The Senate blue ribbon committee today directed the Senate Sergeant-at-arms to immediately serve the arrest orders against Marites Aytona, Jimmy Paule and Feshan Philippines executives Redentor Antolin and Julie Gregorio.

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon, committee chair, made the announcement after 13 senators, including himself, cited the four in contempt and ordered their immediate arrest and detention at the Pasay City Jail.

Those who signed the arrest orders were Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senators Gordon, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Edgardo Angara, Panfilo Lacson, Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal, Mar Roxas, Rodolfo Biazon, Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, and Joker Arroyo.

Gordon said Aytona, Paule and Gregorio were ordered arrested for their continuous failure to appear and testify in the committee's hearings.

Aytona had been called to testify before the committee on Nov. 28, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, but failed to appear despite personal notice, invitation and a Subpoena Ad Testificandum sent to her, and in spite of numerous promises on her part.

It may be recalled that Aytona has sent a letter to Gordon last Dec. 10 for being unable to attend the hearing, apparently because her lawyer was sick, and promised that she would attend the next hearing (Dec. 17).

The panel granted her request to allow her another week before she testifies in the committee's hearings. However, on Wednesday, exactly a week after she sent the letter, Aytona still failed to show up.

Paule, who was implicated as one of the runners of former undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante, has not yet appeared in any committee hearings on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Gregorio, Feshan president, had been invited to the committee's hearings on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17, but did not attend despite personal notice, invitation and a Subpoena Duces Tecum/Ad Testificandum sent to her.

Meanwhile, the committee noted that Antolin, Feshan vice-president, appears to have falsely and evasively testified in the panel's Dec. 10 hearing, thereby prompting the senators to order his arrest.

Gordon said that the four individuals, once arrested, would be detained at the Pasay City Jail until each of them has purged himself/herself of the Senate's contempt.