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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Escudero: Senate using contempt powers 'sparingly'

Escudero: Senate using contempt powers 'sparingly'

Published Sep 25, 2024 09:52 am

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday, September 25, assured that the Senate is using its contempt powers “sparingly.”


“We use it sparingly in the Senate. You have to understand, you only see the orders of contempt that we sign, you don’t see the ones that we did not sign,” Escudero told reporters in an ambush interview.


“You no longer see the ones that the warrants of arrest that we did not sign. Only those that were signed. So hindi naman porke’t may naiisyung contempt at warrant, ganun na karami at ganun na kagaang ang kamay na mag-isyu dahil marami rin namang mga contempt na hindi napipirmahan at warrants of arrest na hindi pinagbibigyan (Just because there was a contempt citation and a warrant, it means we use it arbitrarily because there have been contempt citations and warrants of arrest that were not approved by the Senate),” he explained.


Escudero said the Senate is upholding the previous ruling of the Supreme Court in the Arnault v. Nazareno.


In that ruling, the SC stated that while some means of compulsion is essential, mere requests for relevant information are often “unavailing” and that information that is volunteered “is not always accurate or complete.”


“But in the Senate, as you have seen too, usually we release on humanitarian grounds,” he said.


“We release them before we go on break or right after we go on break kasi wala naman nang hearing na ginagawa or walang hearing na (because there are no more scheduled hearings or any hearings that is) expected soon,” Escudero said.


The Senate has been issuing contempt citations and arrest orders against some personalities involved in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO)-related crimes.


One of them is dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo, her sister Shiela Guo and other members of their family.


Escudero signed the arrest order against Alice Guo, or Gua Hua Ping after the latter refused to appear in the Senate’s inquiry on POGOs.


Last Monday, the Senate women and children’s panel lifted the contempt orders against Shiela Guo, supposedly Alice’s sister and ordered her transfer to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

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Contempt Order Senate of the Philippines Chiz Escudero
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