Ging-GO-na should go!

Ging-GO-na should go!

“In my almost three decades of covering the legislature, I could not remember a single instance of a committee still conducting hearings after coming out with a report… Since all findings and recommendations are already mentioned in the report, what is the use of conducting further hearings on an issue that is already resolved insofar as the committee is concerned? For publicity?”

By Efren L. Danao

Just when everybody thought Sen. Teofisto Guingona 3rd is through with the blue-ribbon inquiry into the alleged corruption in the military and the plea bargaining agreement, here he comes announcing that his panel will conduct another public hearing on the same issue.

Guingona’s 2010 campaign jingle was a carry-over of that of his father Tito—Let’s Go Na, Guingona. Perhaps, I could have joined him if only I know the direction he is heading.

As it is, I don’t know whether he is coming or going.

Take that public hearing I mentioned above. Normally, a committee stops all public hearings after it already has a report. Guingona has routed out a 65-page report on the committee’s findings and recommendations based on its six public hearings. The report has already been signed by regular and some ex-officio members. Since all findings and recommendations are already mentioned in the report, what is the use of conducting further hearings on an issue that is already resolved insofar as the committee is concerned?

For publicity?

In my almost three decades of covering the legislature, I could not remember a single instance of a committee still conducting hearings after coming out with a report.

Findings of legislative inquiries are not a case of “pass your papers, finished or not finished.” Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito Sen” Sotto agreed with me on this observation—he also could not remember such an instance. In this sense, Guingona is setting another dubious “first” in the Senate—if he pushes through with the public hearing scheduled on Monday.

Previously, Guingona did a “first” in volunteering to submit a copy of the committee report to Malacañang. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Tito Sen said they were never aware of any other senator giving Malacañang a copy of a committee report even before the Senate could tackle the same in plenary. They are right. That runs counter to the republican concept of separation of powers.

Guingona later said Malacañang did not receive any copy of the report although earlier in the day, a Malacañang spokesperson said it was received.

Going back to the hearing this Monday, that hearing might be a tacit admission by Guingona that the issuance of a committee report was precipitate. In that case, expect the committee to come out with a new report. How will this affect the credibility of the panel that is meant to investigate venalities in government? That the blue ribbon has been coming out with reports even before all the facts are in? That it is too hasty to condemn, predisposed to prejudgment?

I wonder, however, if Guin-gona is most willing to amend his report, especially that declaring Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez had committed “the height of betrayal of public trust.” He is an acolyte of the Liberal Party whose party stand is for the impeachment of Gutierrez. As an acolyte, he has to sing hossanas to the administration and to the party, and cry “amen” to their pronouncements.

Thus, I find it no surprising that he publicly rejected JPE’s suggestion that he remove all references to the culpability of Gutierrez. Guingona said that while he believed in the wisdom of JPE, he had more confidence in the wisdom of the committee report. Ouch!

Here’s my fearless prediction: The Senate will junk the blue ribbon report unless it is amended. If Guingona refuses and the report is lost in the plenary, then the only honorable thing left for him to do is to resign as blue ribbon chairman.