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Monday, March 03, 2003
Senate not done with US lobby group: Villar
By Antonio M. Ajero
DAVAO -- Legislators have just started looking into the involvement of a perceived US lobby group in decisions of key government agencies, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. said Sunday.
"We've only just begun," said Villar on the Senate's investigation into the reason for the presence of the United States-funded Accelerating Growth, Investment and Liberalization with Equity (Agile) in the country.
Villar told reporters Sunday that Agile was pushing policy proposals serving to benefit the United States. The group gets its funding from the US Agency for International Development.
"We do not mind if they are a lobby group, but that there is need for them to disclose the extent of their presence in government agencies," he said, adding Agile is clearly working for foreign interests.
Earlier, Agile chief of party Ramon Clarete told senators his group's consultants were present in at least 14 key government offices.
Villar said the Senate started looking into the activities of Agile after learning that the group furnished the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force copies of the proposed changes to the Anti-Money Laundering Act ahead of time.
He said the Senate is not concerned about meeting the March 15 deadline set by the FATF on amendments to the law as it does not sit well with the senators to be dictated by a foreign agency.
But Villar said the lawmakers are set to meet with officials of the task force next week.
Senate President Franklin Drilon, who was in Davao City last Saturday, said Clarete and his colleagues in Agile are mostly American citizens and are engaged in more than just helping government agencies formulate policies.
Villar said senators are demanding that the group identified its 99 consultants. Sun.Star Davao |
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