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Thursday, October 13, 2005
Malacañang denies gagging security adviser on Venable pact
EXECUTIVE Secretary Eduardo Ermita reiterated Wednesday that Executive Order (EO) 464 is not a gag order nor had National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales been directed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to remain tight-lipped on the Venable LLP lobbying contract.
Ermita said Gonzales merely meant that since the case had been referred to the Supreme Court (SC) and he has lawyers to represent him, he would just let them "represent him on what will be the proper response to the question that will be asked of him."
"But not in a manner that a gag order is given because he's not supposed to cooperate with the proceedings in the Supreme Court, not in that manner," he added.
Ermita said the government, through its legal team led by Solicitor General
Alfredo Benipayo, would be defending the EO efore the SC. The team would meet in Malacañang Thursday afternoon to prepare their written response to the case.
Gonzales, during oral arguments at the Supreme Court, said he had been ordered by the President to keep mum on the Venable contract even before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee started it probe.
Gonzales, through his lawyer Antonio Bautista, said,the President had advised him not to reveal anything as it might affect Philippine-US relations.
Bautista also blamed the Senate's intense grilling tat led to his client's confinement.
Ermita assured that Gonzales, despite his heart condition, is still able to lead the National Security Council (NSC) Office and the National Intelligence Coordinating Authority (ica). He said Gonzales is "not totally incapacitated."
He said the two offices are about a building away from the Philippine
Heart Center (PHC) where Gonzales is confined and his staff had been going to and from the hospital and office to bring his work and other important documents to him at his sickbed.
He added that why Gonzales had not gone on official leave despite his confinement is the "call" of both the National Security Adviser and the President who appointed him.
On the call of Senator Joker Arroyo, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, for the President to write a letter requesting for the release of Gonzales form detention, Ermita said there is now a case pending in the SC.
He however assured that back-channel talks between the Senate and the executive branch, through the offices of the Presidential legislative liaison office and the Presidential adviser for political affairs, are continuing.
Ermita shrugged off the decision of the Senator Rodolfo Biazon to suspend hearings on the wiretapping issue following the issuance of EO 464. Ermita said it is the decision of the Senate.
He however hinted that the Senate has had more than enough of Congressional inquiries and hearings despite the issuance last September 28 of EO 464, which stresses the need for the President's consent before any Cabinet official, police or Armed Forces officers and on security officials can attend.
Ermita said of the 14 Senate inquiries and hearings, 12 had been attended by a total of 58 officials from the executive branch while in the 20 hearings in the House a total of 63 executive officials had attended.
Asked if the President would allow officials to attend the Senate inquiry on the jueteng issue, which would be revived by Senator Manuel Villar Jr., Ermita said "when that happens, we will see the reasons for permitting all of them or not permitting all of them, we will find out, we will decide when we reach that point when such an invitation is made." (JMR/Sunnex)
(October 13, 2005 issue)
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