Tupas: SC ruling will have negative effect on corruption drive
Iloilo Fifth District Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. said the declaration of the Supreme Court that the Truth Commission is unconstitutional will have a “negative effect” on the Aquino administration’s campaign against corruption.
“The Truth Commission was basically set up for the purpose of investigating because the body tasked by the Constitution to investigate and prosecute graft and corruption seems to have lost credibility,” said Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice.
He said the body should be the one to handle the graft cases against the past administration because the Ombudsman was facing impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.
“I don’t think the Ombudsman is the right person to handle those cases,” he said.
House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II also said the decision was a “temporary setback,” but that there could be another way of looking into the cases.
“If PNoy (President Benigno Simeon Aquino III) wants to ferret out the truth, I suggest he issues an executive order creating a multi-agency task force to be composed of representatives from the Department of Justice, Ombudsman, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police to investigate, establish prima facie cases and thereafter recommend the filing of the appropriate charges against any person or persons who appear liable,” he said.
Deputy House Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada III called the SC decision as yet “another roadblock” to efforts to bring public officials to account for their alleged misdeeds.
“Of course, no one expected the entire country to just suddenly turn to the straight and narrow path. But I am surprised that the opposition seems to be coming from the Supreme Court. Frankly, this is disastrous,” he said.
On the other hand, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said that with the SC decision, the Truth Commission should now be dissolved.
Still, he said, “the ruling does not and should not prevent existing duly constituted authorities, primarily the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman from investigating alleged offenses during the previous administration.”
House Minority Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the SC decision signals the “triumph of the rule of law” and showed that the High Court has remained the “sanctuary of civil liberties.”
“It struck down incursions of the President into the realm of legislative authority and protected the sanctity of civil liberties against governmental derogation,” he said.*PNA
