MANILA, Philippines – Pangungunahan ni Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros ang imbestigasyon ng kapulungan sa pagtakas ni dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo.
“I have formed a subcommittee to hear this particular subject matter and the chairperson I have designated is no other than the Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros herself,” sinabi ni newly-elected Senate justice and human rights committee chairman Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
Tinukoy din ni Pimentel ang privilege speech ni Hontiveros na nagsabing si Guo, o Chinese citizen na si Guo Hua Ping, ay nakaalis na ng bansa patungo sa Malaysia noong Hulyo 18.
Isinuhestyon ni Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero na gumawa ng secondary referral ng privilege speech ni Hontiveros sa Senate committee on public services dahil pinamumunuan na ni Hontiveros ang committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality.
Ipinunto ni Escudero na ang umano’y pagtakas ni Guo ay tumutukoy sa “the seeming absence of lack of checks and balances in our airports and other ports” na sakop ng hurisdiksyon ng Senate public services.
Sa kabila nito, iginiit ni Pimentel na ang mga isyu at mga taong sangkot dito ay sakop ng kaalaman ng Hontiveros-led committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality.
“Parang siya yung source nung subject matter, Mr. President. Subject matter expertise so if we can make secondary [referral], justice [committee] is still the primary,” ani Pimentel.
Bilang pagtatapos, napagkasunduan na i-refer ang privilege speech ni Hontiveros sa committee on public services maging sa committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality.
Sinabi ni Pimentel na ang pag-refer sa privilege speeches sa tatlong komite ay inaaprubahan lamang para sa “rare cases.”
“In rare cases we designate three committees. So let us treat this as one of those,” ani Pimentel.
Nitong Martes, Agosto 20, matatandaan na inihayag ni BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval na si Guo ay kasalukuyang nasa Indonesia. RNT/JGC
