By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
It was a quiet day for me last Dec 5, as I sat down and opened my cell phone. All of a sudden, I came across a live streaming of a hearing by the House committee on legislative franchise.
It was about the possible suspension of the franchise of a media network, SMNI, due to some perceived violations. I caught it just a couple of minutes after the opening.
The congressmen-investigators invited Dr. Lorraine Badoy, a former undersecretary of DSWD, and Mr. Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, both anchors of a program at the network, as guests/resource persons. From time to time, I watch their program when am at home and not that busy.
The two were unceremoniously bamboozled with questions but were not allowed to fully explain or defend their points of view. Effectively, that is gagging.
Members of the committee pilloried Ka Eric about his statement on the PnP 1.8 B spent by the House Speaker, Mr. Martin Romualdez, for his travels this year. They kept on saying that his claim was false, therefore he is peddling lies according to them. Realizing his mistake of not verifying his info, Ka Eric apologized to the committee.
This is the first indication that I thought the congressmen did not do diligence work before the hearing. I watched the episode where Celiz made his statement. It was not a claim; it was actually a question: “ Is it true that Speaker Romualdez spent 1.8 billion pesos for his travels this 2023?” He even posed the same question to their program guest then who was a former official of the previous administration.
When the congressmen continued to insist that Celiz made a false claim, I thought then that the congressmen were bent on pinning down Ka Eric and Badoy, in any way possible. That is to say, whatever is said and done, the congressmen will have their way.
It was a real hint of a forthcoming abuse of authority by Congressmen. It seemed to me that they were trying to trap Ka Eric with their questioning instead of judiciously steering the hearing into a less adversarial but more gentlemanly way.
The trap was laid when their guest mentioned that his question was based on an informant. When they could not convince their guest to reveal his source of that wrong information, he was declared in contempt. He was explaining that he could not disclose his source, invoking the Soto law (R.A. 11458) that journalists are not obliged to divulge their source of information. No dice, the congressmen did not bite it. And to think that some of them are lawyers! Uneducated and rash verdict: Celiz is to be detained in the House accordingly.
During the turn of Dr. Badoy to be questioned, congressmen took the opportunity to rebut everything that she said. Their ears suddenly turned into efficient recorders for their biased mindset. So, when Badoy flip flop into yes and no to a question on whether their program is earning money, they immediately cast their reckless ruling: that she is lying and therefore deserving to be held in contempt. She is to be detained in the House, together with Ka Eric.
Talk of how not to treat your guests properly!
While in detention, Celiz and Badoy were given just: 1 hr/day to use their CP; 4 hrs for visitations; their attorneys are not allowed to visit; they were not also permitted to be interviewed by media. WHOA, they are like criminals or something?The House of Reps arrogated unto themselves a function almost similar to a dictator. It’s a shame in a democracy. They forgot that they are not kings, queens or dictators. They were authorized by the people to represent them, not repress, in Congress.
It seems that during the hearing, the congressmen were so cocky, they will not even try to see the merits of what their two guests were saying. A lot of people were of the opinion that they were abusive. They have detained some of their invited (resource) persons previously without much complaint, perhaps making them believe that they can do whatever they want.
I was particularly mystified by two of the congressmen-investigators: Cong Romeo Acop and Cong. Benny Abante.
Acop is a retired police general and considered a proud Igorot from Benguet, although he was born in Sudipen, La Union. He is presently an elected congressman of the 2nd district of Antipolo city. He is a PMA graduate and is also a lawyer.
I have watched some of his House committee hearings before. I thought he is one of the better, more cerebral representatives, and I salute him. But with the hearings involving Celiz and Badoy, his brilliance dimmed so great, I couldn’t decipher what happened to him. According to a lot of people who saw the hearings, he was arrogant and I also think the same. He is a lawyer but he seems not familiar with the Supreme Court decision on red-tagging. He was not also familiar with the SMNI program of the two guests that they detained which shows really lack of due diligence from the lawmaker. Maybe congressman Acop was being fed with “fake” info?
As for Cong Abante, I have met him long before he dived into the whirlpool of politics. He was called a pastor in a known religious group. It appeared to me then that he was level-headed, fair-minded, very rational and really forward looking with a commanding voice. Many of those traits were not apparent during the hearing. He talked of red-tagging and the guest duo he tagged as “spreading lies, always spewing fake news.” He even said that,”what you did and what you are doing is offensive”. The duo are actually staunch advocate of the elimination of the CPP-NPA-NDF terroristic activities. Is it possible that one of his staff or adviser is an avid sympathizer of that group?
The arbitrary detention of the two guests without due process led to a lot of negative reactions from the people. It sparked the signing of a Manifesto for the Defense of Democratic Rights by more than 200 retired generals and other officers who graduated from the PMA. It is in support of Celiz and Badoy. According to the generals, it is the first that this had been done by them.
To me, it’s a little alarming. One general even boldly stating that the Congress maybe dissolved when the people so decide, adding that even PBBM might go with it.
Celiz and Badoy were detained for 7 days without due process? That’s assumed to be unthinkable in a working democracy. And the instigators are members of Congress who are supposed to be guardians of people’s interests!
The Lower House had to release Celiz and Badoy after 7 days due to two major reasons: the filing of a habeas corpus case in the Supreme court by the lawyers of the two, and more graphically, the manifesto of the retired generals that was boldly announced in social media and in some media stations.
The two were released, according to Cong Tambunting, the head of the House committee on legislative franchise, based on humanitarian reasons. Say that again? He explained that Ka Eric had already disclosed his source, which was vehemently denied in media-clearly indicating that it was fake news.
I would like to believe that a super majority of the congressmen are of the sensible and mature type. What happened was just an exception. It was a case of momentary lapse in judgment and probably just a case of pricked egos by a few congressmen. Whatever, it shows that there are unprincipled politicians sitting nonchalantly in a supposed hallowed Congress, looking only after their own selfish interests and political future.
But now, they have realized that the people are watching, and they have to behave otherwise their political career wound end up abruptly, ignominiously. **
