Bato: Senate panel to invite Teves brothers, Comelec execs in Degamo slay probe  

 
The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs will invite suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr., his brother former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves and officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its probe into the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
 
Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate public order panel, said he will allow Rep. Teves to attend the hearing either physically or virtually. 
 
Dela Rosa has scheduled the hearing on Monday, April 17. He also said the Senate panel will seek clearance from the courts to allow the arrested suspects in the case to appear in the hearing.
 
“We will be inviting him (Rep. Teves) not as a resource person but as a member of the House whose name is being implicated in the issue at hand,” Dela Rosa said.
 
He pointed out they have already invited the congressman during the Senate’s investigation into the “e-sabong” or online cockfighting where he was also implicated, and he “agreeably attended and utilized such opportunity to air his side.”
 
“But if he invokes interparliamentary courtesy this time around then we will afford him such courtesy,” the senator said.
 
Also invited to the hearing are Degamo’s wife Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the families of the victims in Degamo’s case and representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
 
Dela Rosa, however, said that since the DOJ is already in deep with its criminal prosecution, the Senate probe will focus on other things that would complement their efforts.
 
“Our Senate investigation, in aid of legislation, will complement their efforts once additional evidence will be unearthed in the process. But my committee will focus more on policy issues that may be fixed through legislations,” he stressed.