Senate leader to attend Puno probe

MANILA -- Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano offered a bit of certainty that the chamber's probe into the performance of resigned Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno will push through on Friday morning.

In a radio interview, Cayetano said he will be attending the 10:30 a.m.inquiry called by the Senate committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

"I was able to confirm my attendance just last night (Thursday)," he said.

Santiago earlier said the hearing may be sabotaged by the lack of quorum and the absence of Puno himself.

Senate rules require at least two senators present to form a quorum at a committee hearing.

The committee has 11 members yet none of them responded affirmatively to Santiago's invitation, according to her staff. Cayetano meanwhile is an ex-officio member just like Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, another committee member, said he might be unavailable because of a speaking engagement at the University of the Philippines.

"I will try (to attend)," he said in a text message to Sun.Star.

Puno has been called to appear in the hearing to shed light on alleged break-in at the condominium unit of his boss, the late Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.

The hearing also seeks to clarify Puno’s involvement in jueteng operations and his supervision of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"It's important that we can establish that the President's campaign of straightforward governance is applicable not just to the administration's enemies but to allies as well. Ofcourse, we are not accusing or acquitting anybody at this point in time. Everyone is still presumed innocent," Cayetano said.(Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)