Saturday, March 29, 2008 Palace seeks suspension of Senate probe on NBN mess
MALACAÑANG said the Senate inquiry into the national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal should be suspended while the Supreme Court (SC) resolves the motion for reconsideration on the issue of invoking executive privilege in refusing to answer a particular question.
Chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol said a suspension is "timely" pending the expected filing of the motion for reconsideration.
Some legal luminaries have said there is still a chance that some magistrates could change their votes, which could result in the high court's reversal of its earlier decision.
"Suspension is timely pending the filing of the motion," said Apostol.
He also branded as "just a political gimmick" the plan of Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez to file a resolution seeking to amend the Constitution and remove the President's appointing power to the SC and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
He said Malacañang will not support the proposal because executive privilege is part of the President's democratic powers.
Golez has said he would file a resolution to amend Section 8 and 9 of Article VIII of the Constitution, and transfer the appointing power to the SC acting en banc.
He said it would insulate the JBC and SC from "presidential and political interference." (JMR/Sunnex)
