SENATE President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s attack on the appointment of Hilario Davide Jr. as head of the Truth Commission provoked expressions of support for the former chief justice.
Mayor Michael Rama said the accusations against the former chief justice are rehashed and Estrada should prove his allegations, instead of hiding behind parliamentary immunity.
“If you can’t put up, shut up,” Rama said.
Councilor Edgardo Labella is scheduled to deliver a privileged speech during the council’s regular session tomorrow to denounce last Tuesday’s tirade by Senator Estrada.
He said the allegations Estrada raised on the use of the Judiciary Development Fund and the appointment of two of Davide’s children in SC positions have been resolved.
These were the same issues raised when the House tried to impeach Davide in 2003.
Hilario “Junjun” Davide III, son of the former chief justice, said he was not surprised by Estrada’s speech, but that it still hurt the family.
“Alang kanamo sa pamilya sakit gyud paminawon pero wa man tay mahimo kay iya man pud nang katungod pero mao lagi na, dunay abuse ba sa iyang parliamentary immunity (This has hurt my family. He has the right to deliver such a speech, but he also abused his parliamentary immunity),” Davide said.
An official of the Catholic church-based network Dilaab said it would like to “gently remind” the senator: “First take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
“We trust Davide and recall the groundswell of public support for him in the politically motivated impeachment in 2003. Senator Estrada is oblivious that President Benigno Aquino III is the one who asked Davide to lead the commission,” said Dilaab founder Fr. Carmelo Diola in a text message to Sun.Star Cebu.
Robert Go, past president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he believes the truth about questionable transactions will have a better chance of coming out, with Davide heading the Truth Commission.
“Davide is an honest-to-goodness man and is the right man to head the Truth Commission. Nobody is as fit as him for the position. It is also our pride to have such a man in the Cabinet (of President Benigno Aquino III),” Go said.
Davide resigned from his appointment as permanent representative of the Philippines to the United Nations early this year to campaign for his son Hilario III in the May elections.
Even before he assumed office last June 30, President Aquino revealed he had asked Davide to head the commission, which will examine allegedly anomalous transactions during the Arroyo administration. (ETB/EOB)