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Thursday, September 21, 2006
2 wanted good gov’t execs willing to give up: senator
SENATOR Richard Gordon said on Wednesday that two of the four commissioners of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) who are wanted by the Senate have expressed their willingness to appear in the Upper Chamber.
Gordon said that PCGG Commissioner Nicasio Conti, through a third party, called him up Tuesday, while Commissioner Narciso Nario communicated to Senator Juan Ponce Enrile about their intention to relinquish themselves to the Senate.
“Conti wants to come to the Senate and said that he did not do anything wrong and was only forced not to appear. I told him (third party) that he (Conti) has nothing to fear. We won’t be insulting him and if he is indeed innocent, he should appear,” the senator said.
Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on government corporations that is hearing the dissipation of assets of Philcomsat Holdings Corporation (PHC) allegedly by PCGG officials and nominees in the sequestered corporations, said their presence in the investigation will help in ferreting out the truth on the matter.
“We just want to know what things to be done. So, let them come out. While they’re hiding, it means that they are concealing something. The confidence of the people in the government is declining but if they will appear and show they have accountability, the people’s respect to the government will come back,” he said.
Gordon also said the Senate will recall the arrest warrants against Conti and Nario if they will attend the Senate investigation. “They should also explain why they have failed to appear and they may tell us who are stopping them from appearing,” he added.
Giving surrender feeler means that the two PCGG commissioners are defying the order of PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio not to appear in the Senate, Gordon said.
Sabio was arrested last week on the strength of an arrest warrant.
Apart from the two PCGG commissioners, the Senate sergeant-at-arms is also running after Commissioners Ricardo Abcede and Tereso Javier and some PHC officials after they were cited in contempt for their continued refusal to appear in the Senate despite being issued with subpoenas.
“Specially this one (Abcede) who continues giving interviews and accusing the Senate. He also claims he did so many things (in the PCGG and its sequestered corporations) but he does not want to answer the accusations against him. The public should know that,” Gordon said.
Abcede allegedly received a Toyota Camry from the PHC worth some P1.7 million aside from other questionable perks and benefits that he and other PCGG officials and nominees are receiving from sequestered corporations.
As promised, Sabio went back to the Senate Wednesday afternoon after undergoing a medical checkup at the Makati Medical Center. (REC/Sunnex)
(September 21, 2006 issue)
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