Solon hails move to suspend House probes

Supporting Speaker Jose de Venecia’s decision to seek a six-month suspension of all congressional inquiries in aid of legislation, Rep. Rodolfo Albano of Isabela hailed yesterday the move as "best for the Filipino people, best for the economy, and best for the institution."

The veteran lawmaker and former majority leader said "only those with evil intentions would object to the moratorium."

Albano said the House is not under a gag order nor is it abdicating its power to investigate but is "focusing on its role to legislate laws that would revive the economy and fight mass poverty to lift the lives of our teeming poor."

He said that House members are "sensitive to the plight of our people and would rise to the challenge" of enacting laws to prop up the economy.

De Venecia last Thursday announced his decision for a temporary halt of all ongoing and new House inquiries called in aid of legislation "so the House can concentrate on its primary purpose of lawmaking."

The nation, De Venecia said, is fed up with too much "negative and destructive politics." The House has an internal mechanism through the Ethics Committee to deal with charges against any House member, he added.

In announcing his proposed moratorium, which he said he will take up in a multi-party caucus when the House reconvenes on Sept. 24, De Venecia said it does not cover House investigations that involve "matters of national importance."

The decision was praised by President Arroyo in a statement from Japan where she concluded a four-day working visit.

The moratorium followed De Venecia’s own inquiry into allegations aired in the media that a so-called Gang of Five in the chamber has used legislative inquiries as tools for extortion.

The alleged victims of the gang, cellular phone companies Globe and Smart, however, have each declared they had not been asked by nor had they given any bribe to any of the congressman named in the media reports.

The two companies faced a House investigation for a cartel-like move reducing the number of free text messages offered to mobile phone subscribers.

Albano observed that all the allegations against the five congressmen were aired only in the media "and no formal complaint — even after a flood of publicity — ever reached the House Ethics Committee."

He appealed to all concerned not to dignify allegations not supported by hard facts and evidence.