MIRIAM VS JUN-JUN ‘Where are your good manners?’

MANILA – Feisty Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago called on fellow Ilonggo Cong. Niel “Jun-jun” Tupas Jr. to inhibit from the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.
Tupas is the chairman of the House justice committee.
“I do not see how (Tupas) can possibly continue in that capacity when he has a very obvious personal case against Ombudsman Gutierrez. I think that good manners and right conduct dictates that he should at least inhibit himself,” said Santiago.
The senator was referring to the case of Tupas’ father, former Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. who, in 2007, was ordered dismissed by Gutierrez for dishonesty, grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
The elder Tupas and his two Provincial Board members were ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman over complaints that they spent P20,000 in public funds for a seminar-training of employees of local government units that never took place.
In issuing the call for Tupas’ inhibition, Santiago stressed that she is not defending the Ombudsman because of their friendship.
“I am friends with her but I am talking from the standpoint of a lawyer. I don’t know if the chairman is a lawyer or not. I feel very appalled by what he is doing,” she said.
Tupas is in fact a lawyer by profession.
Reached for his reaction, Tupas said there is no basis for him to inhibit in the impeachment proceedings, and insisted that he has remained impartial throughout the hearings.
“Tingin ko, it is inter-parliamentary courtesy na bigyan din ng respesto ‘yung branch of government dahil ‘yung Korte Suprema na mismo ang nagsabi na walang basehan ‘yung panawagan sa inhibition ng chairman,” he told reporters.
Tupas likewise noted that Santiago herself did not inhibit during the plea bargaining agreement probe in the Senate which involved her brother, former military chief Benjamin Defensor.

“Ang pagkakaalam ko, sa investigation on the plea bargaining agreement, may nanawagan din na mag-inhibit si Sen. Santiago pero hindi rin siya nag-inhibit," he said.
WHY EXPEDITE THE HEARINGS?
In an interview with Senate reporters, Santiago said there is no need to expedite the hearings against Gutierrez.
“I don’t see what is the big hurry. I mean, what is the national interest that might be jeopardized if we do not start the impeachment proceedings immediately,” she said.
She explained that Gutierrez’s motion for reconsideration is still pending before the Supreme Court so the House of Representatives should let Gutierrez exhaust all of her legal remedies before they push through with the proceedings.
“You cannot execute the judgment, you cannot act on it in any capacity until it has become final and executory. Why do we have to rush the judgment about this? Why can’t we wait 15 days?” she said.
Last week, the House committee on justice voted to resume the hearings on the impeachment complaints against the Ombudsman.
In a 21-5 vote, the House panel approved a motion, filed by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, to give Gutierrez an additional three days to answer the impeachment complaints against her.
The House decision effectively resumed the proceedings on the impeachment complaints against the Ombudsman.
The House move came more than a week after the Supreme Court allowed the House committee on justice to continue hearing the impeachment complaints.
In its February 15 ruling, the high court said the Ombudsman was not denied due process, as she had claimed, because she can answer the charges against her before the House panel. (gmanews.tv/PN)