Senate leadership must intervene in 'PDEA leaks' probe, says House member
At A Glance
- House Assistant Majority Leader Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon is asking the Senate leadership to put its foot down on the "PDEA leaks" inquiry, which he describes as a farce.
Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri
House Assistant Majority Leader Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon is asking the Senate leadership to put its foot down on the "PDEA leaks" inquiry, which he describes as a farce.
"What is at stake here is the integrity of the institution," Bongalon said during a press conference Monday, May 13.
Held at the same time as the presser in the House of Representatives was the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs' third hearing on the probe involving witness Jonathan Morales.
A dismissed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) intelligence agent, Morales is implicating President Marcos on the use of illegal drugs. But the evidence tackled in the Senate hearings have been shady, Bongalon said.
"I guess the Senate leadership has to intervene because even members of the Senate have already commented and reacted to the way the proceeding is being conducted," the Bicol congressman said.
The upper chamber is led by Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, while the committee carrying out the investigation is chaired by Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa.
Bongalon underscored President Marcos' denial of the allegations and the latter’s branding of Morales as a "professional liar".
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"Ako naman sinasabi ko sa kanya (As for me, I think he) is a pathological liar, he keeps on lying. So, with this kind of witness being presented before an investigation, what is at stake here again is the quality of the investigation," noted the lawyer-solon.
"Let us remember we are doing this in aid of legislation. So dapat po may malinaw na direksiyon (So there must be a clear direction)," Bongalon said.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are the two co-equal branches of Philippine Congress.