Gordon rejects call to inhibit from Senate probe vs Villar

Senator Richard J. Gordon today turned down Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's call for the members of the Senate ethics committee, especially those eyeing the presidency, to inhibit themselves from their investigation into charges against Sen. Manuel Villar.

Gordon, vice chairman of the Senate ethics committee, said he is against Santiago 's proposal because it unnecessarily puts into question their impartiality and therefore, may set a bad precedent in their future investigations.

"Even if I am not yet a presidentiable-and even if I were-I would not (inhibit myself from the ethics committee). That's a bad precedent. Can I now be asked by the President to desist from investigating anything involving her because it's political?" he said.

Santiago earlier called on her colleagues aspiring for the highest political post to inhibit from the hearings of the Senate ethics panel where another presidentiable is concerned as it would question the objectivity of the committee's decisions and judgments.

Gordon however said there is no need for such a move because senators are expected to remain unbiased, stressing that there is a distinction between impartiality and partisanship.

"We must distinguish between impartiality and partisanship. As a member of the majority (bloc), there is partisan support (to the current Senate leadership). But as a member of the ethics committee, I am mandated by oath to be impartial," he said.

Gordon, who is also the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said it is unfair that the Senate minority bloc throws accusations of prejudice against some members of the Senate ethics committee.

He explained that during the revamp in the Senate leadership, the members of the ethics panel urged senators from the minority to have a representative to the committee.

"The (members of the Senate) minority (bloc) can say anything that they want, but (as to the question) whether it's fair, I think it's unfair. We gave them all the opportunity to join," Gordon said.

"The government cannot stop just because the minority walked out, or disqualified themselves, or did not participate. That is their problem. We are elected as senators irrespective of political affiliations. When you become a senator, your country comes first," he added.