MANILA, Philippines – Naghain ng reklamo ang legal counsel ni Cassandra Li Ong na si Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, nitong Lunes, Enero 27 para patalsikin si Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez sa umano’y aksyon na hindi naaayon bilang isang miyembro ng Kamara.
Sa 25 pahinang reklamong inihain sa House committee on ethics and privileges, inakusahan ni Topacio si Fernandez na lumabag sa Code of Conduct kasabay ng mga pagdinig ng Quad Committee (QuadComm), na nag-imbestiga sa operasyon ng illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators.
Aniya, bigong kilalanin ni Fernandez ang ‘right to counsel’ ni Ong.
“Nearing the 9th hour of the Third QuadComm hearing, as I was advising Cassandra on her legal rights, Respondent and his fellow chairmen kept on hindering and preventing me from advising Cassandra,” saad sa reklamo.
Ani Topacio, binantaan din siya na huwag makipag-usap sa kanyang kliyente dahil maaari itong ma-contempt.
Sinabi din umano ni Fernandez sa QuadComm na huwag lalapitan si Ong.
“Preventing the resource speaker from [communicating] with her counsel does not conform with the spirit and the letter of the Rules of the House and to the rules of the committees which constitutes a violation of Section 141 (b) of the Code of Conduct,” pagpapatuloy ng reklamo.
“Not only did Respondent violate the Rules of the House of Representatives, but he also gravely violated the Constitution with his vicious denial of Cassandra’s right to counsel,” dagdag pa.
Bukod dito, sinabi ni Topacio na ang aksyon ni Fernandez ay nakaapekto sa kredibilidad ng Kamara at Public Order and Safety Committee, na binabasa umano ang batas sa pamamagitan ng Google.
“[B]y arrogating unto himself the interpretation of the law, of which he has no expertise, he has caused massive injury to my client by depriving her of her rights.”
“It must be emphatically pointed out that Fernandez’s interpretation of the law – when he mistakenly held that the right to remain silent and to refuse to answer incriminatory questions – is not applicable to inquiries in aid of legislation is extravagantly erroneous and downright wrong,” pagpapatuloy pa.
Sa press conference, sinabi ni Topacio na inihain niya ang reklamo upang maiwasan ang mga kaparehong pangyayari sa hinaharap.
“Dapat may magreklamo dito. Otherwise, gagawin at gagawin nila palagi ‘yan sa lahat ng witnesses,” aniya.
“By filing this, I want to hold a mirror up to our honorable congressmen. Tignan nga po natin, tignan ninyo ang sarili ninyo, kung ano ang ginawa ninyo sa Mababang Kapulungan, which is supposed to be an august body.”
“Are you really honorable? Are you really august? Kaya ninyo bang i-pulis ang inyong ranks? Do you still have any shred of decency left in your bodies para makita na mali ang ginagawa ng isang miyembro ninyo at disiplinahin ninyo?”
Wala pang tugon si Fernandez kaugnay nito. RNT/JGC