Wednesday, April 11, 2007 Garci lawyer wants Nene's 'head' By Danilo V. Adorador III
THE lawyer of controversial ex-elections officer Virgilio Garcillano wants opposition Senator Aquilino Pimentel expelled from the Senate for alleged unlawful, partisan activities.
Lawyer Eddie Tamondong, who was Garcillano's lawyer during last year's House hearing on controversial "Hello Garci" tapes, on Tuesday asked the Senate Committee on Ethics to investigate Pimentel for allegedly using Senate resources to advance the senator's senatorial candidacy.
Pimentel's son, Aquilino III, is among the 12 senatorial candidates of the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition.
The Mindanaon senator plastered the official Senate stationery with his photo and that of his son, together with the names of other GO senatorial bets. Tamondong alleged this violated the Fair Elections Act.
On April 2, Tamondong also filed a similar case before the Ombudsman against Pimentel and his son. In 2004, he also filed graft cases against Pimentel before the Ombudsman for alleged irregularities in the construction of the still unfinished Cagayan de Oro convention center.
Pimentel in a text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro branded the accusations "just a lot of malicious hot air that has no basis in law or in fact."
"I have not violated any law or ethical standard that should merit any senate investigation," reads the senator's text message.
Tamondong and Pimentel were former political allies. Their relations have since soured when Pimentel--as head of the PDP-Laban--did not endorse Tamondong's mayoral bid over lawyer Antonio Soriano in 2004. Both are Cagayan de Oro natives.
In filing cases against him and his son, the senator said Tamondong may have either been driven by their past political feud, or acting on Malacañang's behest.
"Garcillano, who I'd like punished for electoral manipulation is his client and from Garci, Malacañang can't be far away."
Tamondong said he was acting on his own and countered: "Pimentel is a world-class hypocrite. Nagmamalinis when he's just rotten as those he attacks."
