Cayetano-led senators push through with ‘Marines’ hearing

MANILA, Philippines, June 5 ------ Senators allied with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano forced their way into the plenary hall to proceed with the “Blue Ribbon committee” hearing that they had vowed to launch to give 18 men claiming to be former Marines the platform to repeat their allegations that they delivered suitcases of cash to several lawmakers and administration officials, including President Marcos.

Cayetano’s sister Senator Pia and Sen. Robinhood Padilla met the 18 at the lobby before the 10 a.m. “hearing.” To their surprise, they found Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla standing at the lobby entrance with his arms outstretched as if to block their way.

Padilla led the group into breaking through what they believed was Remulla’s attempt to stop them from going up to the plenary hall on the second floor. Pia limped her way to the plenary floor with her arms around the shoulders of two of the former “Marines.” Remulla denied blocking the group from going to plenary, saying he was on his way out when he chanced upon the group.

In her opening speech supposedly as committee chairperson,” Senator Pia condemned the Remulla’s attempt to prevent them from conducting the hearing. “I was surprised to see Secretary Jonvic Remulla blocking me. I never thought the day would come that somebody would prevent me from entering the Senate,” she said. “This is my office. Again, thank you. I never though it’s the Senate staff, the media – because you got embroiled in this – who would help me attend this hearing. This is the Senate, this is the halls of democracy. We will hold our hearing and we will continue,” she said in English and Filipino. On Wednesday, Sen. Erwin Tulfo was named Blue Ribbon committee chairman replacing Cayetano after a leadership coup that ousted her brother and propelled Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian to the position of president pro-tempore and acting president.

The other senators who attended the hearing yesterday were Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta and Robin Padilla. Pia Cayetano earlier delegated “vice chairman” Marcoleta to lead the hearing as a subcommittee to hear the 18 individuals’ testimonies. The 18 resource persons looked and sounded defiant as they criticized those doubting their claims, saying they would not risk their dignity as former soldiers just to follow a script and spew propaganda.

They reiterated their claims contained in their affidavit that they delivered suitcases of varying sizes containing millions of pesos in alleged flood control kickbacks to fugitive lawmaker Zaldy Co, former speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as to several other lawmakers, and even to sitting senators.

Among the personalities named as recipients of alleged kickbacks were the President’s son Sandro Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Senators Vicente Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo. Benny Bulontante and Bernard Gumban, who were among the “ex-Marines,” claimed they were the ones who delivered luggage of cash to Sotto and Tulfo. Johnny Buduan testified President Marcos was also a recipient of kickbacks contained in several pieces of luggage. Belnard Tube claimed Sandro himself personally received the kickbacks.

Source: philstar.com