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MANILA, Philippines – The Senate investigation on Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno will push through despite his resignation.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said Puno’s resignation on Tuesday, September 11, has no effect whatsoever on the Senate probe. Santiago called for the investigation and will lead it under her Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws.
Santiago told reporters that Puno must still attend the investigation which starts on Friday, September 14. She said that if Puno fails to appear, the Senate will issue a subpoena. “He has to appear or we’ll put him in jail.”
The senator explained: “There is no precedent that any person who resigns or even retires from public service is automatically acquitted of any liability for any misdeeds during his term of office so he’ll still have to appear.”
“He still has to answer many questions in the mind of the public,” she added.
Puno’s resignation on Tuesday was immediately accepted by the President.
‘Why did he wait?’
The senator was not surprised by Puno’s resignation.
“He should have done it earlier then he would have become the poster boy for delicadeza but he hanged in there until the President was compelled to announce his replacement,” Santiago said.
President Benigno Aquino III has said over the weekend that Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Nicanor Bartolome is the likely replacement of Puno.
Santiago said of Puno, “He did [what’s] decent although I say that circumstances have compelled his hand by resigning.”
The senator called on Aquino not to appoint Puno to a new position.
“That will be a big letdown on the part of the public and it will be like playing a shell game, guess where the shell is, abracadabra, is it here, is it there? The public is not going to accept that anymore.”
Santiago said Puno should only be appointed once he clears himself of the charges against him.
“In this case it becomes necessary because he’s been in office for two years and all these rumors started swirling around his head. They follow him like a swarm of mosquitoes, he has to slap them down one by one and if he fails, he will fail abjectly in the public eye.”
Santiago wants to investigate Puno for a host of issues – his attempt to retrieve the documents of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo from his condominium unit, and allegations of involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng, and supposed ties to illegal logging.
Puno has also been accused of lapses in the bidding of rifles for the PNP. Aquino has ordered the cancellation of the deal.
Aside from Puno, also invited to Friday’s hearing are:
- Executive Secretary Paquito Jojo “Ochoa” Jr
- Environment Secretary Ramon Paje
- Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
- Interior and Local Government Secretary-designate Manuel Roxas II
- Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Nicanor Bartolome
- Arcbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, head of Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Jueteng
- Lawyer Maria Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo, Robredo’s widow
Leni declines invitation
Leni Robredo, though, will not be attending the Senate hearing. Her husband’s head executive assistant Lawyer Domnina Rances wrote to Santiago, saying Mrs Robredo sends her regrets.
“As Your Honor may know, Atty Gerona-Robredo is staying in Naga City with her youngest child,” said Rances.
“Even as she grieves for the passing of Secretary Jesse M Robredo, her hands are currently full in ensuring that her children are coping with the unfortunate event and she is afraid that such a very public event concerning her husband’s work might cause too much pain and stress for her family.”
Santiago said she regretted receiving the letter but will not force Mrs Robredo to face the Senate. Instead, the senator will ask if Leni Robredo can provide the committee with the documents in her husband’s condominium which were turned over to her or a summary of the contents.
“But if the answer is still negative, I am not going to issue a subpoena to her out of courtesy for the immense grief that surrounds her at this time. We will just try to acquire this information from other sources,” Santiago said. – Rappler.com
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