#wegotmail: Senate President Miguel Zubiri’s statement on the SC decision concerning the Pharmally case

WE, in the Senate, recognize the decision of the Supreme Court on the case involving Pharmally executives and, at the same time, welcome the decision of the Highest Court affirming the Senate’s power to hold witnesses in contempt during hearings in aid of legislation.

In today’s deliberation of the Judiciary’s budget for 2024, I acknowledged the Court's decision, appreciating its guidance on how the Senate should handle contempt cases moving forward.

To be very clear, the Court did not invalidate the Senate’s power to cite witnesses in contempt, as well as all the grounds for contempt under our Rules. These are intact.

The Court merely said that “considering the broad definition of giving false or evasive testimony, the witness must be given a chance to explain why his or her testimony is not false or evasive.”

The Court upheld the broad power of the Senate to hold witnesses in contempt as inherent in its power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. The grant of that power is meant to be complete — meaning the Senate has the power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, and therefore also has the power to resort to coercive mechanisms to ensure that its processes are obeyed, including citing witnesses in contempt.

This was confirmed during the deliberation of the Judiciary's budget, as explained by its sponsor Sen. Sonny Angara.

It's essential to note that, contrary to misconceptions, the recent decision doesn't undermine the Senate's power. The Court merely underscored the importance of ensuring fairness in contempt proceedings. In essence, while the Senate has the authority to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation, it also has the means to enforce compliance with its processes, including citing witnesses in contempt.

Lastly, let it be clear that all hearings, including those in question and every Senate inquiry, have a primary objective of uncovering the truth in aid of legislation, and contributing to the legislative process.