‘Palace behind probe on Lacson’

There was a breach in the Armed Forces chain of command and the Department of National Defense when Col. Victor Corpus, head of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), went to the United States to probe a senator’s alleged dollar accounts.

This was what the Senate committee on rules headed by Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda concluded yesterday regarding Corpus’ month-long probe on the alleged dollar account of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in effect saying that Malacañang was behind Corpus’ mission.

"The chain of command was bended sideward and diagonally to accommodate and rationalize the actions taken by ISAFP," the committee report said.

The report was based on the answers of Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes during the Senate Question Hour on Aug. 21 and 30 and on Sept. 3, 2001 to allegations that Corpus violated the chain of command when he went to the US to investigate claims that Lacson had bank accounts there totaling $800 million.

Sen. Robert Barbers had originally proposed that Corpus be invited to the Question Hour, but it was later decided to invite Reyes instead, as the Question Hour pertains only to members of the Cabinet.

During the Question Hour, Reyes said he was a mere presidential appointee and would not dare pass judgment on Corpus’ behavior. The rules committee found this reasoning "appealing."

"Can we imagine what havoc this kind of attitude will have when we allow heads of offices like Corpus to do whatever they please?" the report said, adding that Corpus went beyond the mandate of his job.

"It is evident that Reyes does not want to make any moves that will displease Malacañang. Thus, despite the discovery that Corpus was asked to go on a mission sans his knowledge and that Corpus reports directly to his principals in Malacañang, Reyes is willing to bend over backwards and lamely claim that Corpus cannot be micromanaged and that he is doing things on the tactical level," the committee report said.

"It is evident that Corpus was instructed by people higher than Reyes without even consulting or informing Reyes himself," it added.

Lacson, subject of the intelligence chief’s probe, is widely seen as a presidential contender in 2004 and possible rival of President Arroyo.

Meanwhile, Legarda denied claims that she had watered down the committee report to move recommendations to impose sanctions on Corpus.

"Regardless of my position of being with the administration, I make sure that my reports are comprehensively done and that they are fair and objective. There was no attempt whatsoever to water it down," she said.

She has already transmitted the committee report to Senate President Franklin Drilon and she stressed that her job was finished with this transmittal.

"It is his prerogative to distribute it to the members of the chamber," she added.

The opposition said they want the report to be tackled on the floor so the chamber may act on it. Legarda said she sees nothing wrong with discussing the report on the floor but this could interfere in the deliberations on equally important measures.

Drilon said the Senate rules call for the circulation of the rules committee report to the members of the chamber.

He accepted responsibility for the delay in the circulation of the report.

"I went through it. I accept the responsibility. It was submitted to me earlier and I went through it. I did not alter anything. There was no attempt to sanitize that report," Drilon contended. – Efren Danao