Miriam: Let Arroyo decide on what to do with Cabinet member attacking me

Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday said she would let President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo decide on what to do with a “notorious member" of her Cabinet who was allegedly behind the demolition job against the senator. Santiago said she would talk to Mrs. Arroyo about the Cabinet member who was allegedly behind moves to disqualify the senator from running in the May polls and expel her from the practice of law. “I am left with no choice but to discuss this illiterate campaign of mudslinging with President Arroyo. She called me last night, but I was out on a prior engagement. I hope to reach her today," Santiago, a guest candidate of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, said in a press statement. Two weeks after a lawyer sought Santiago’s disqualification, another individual on Thursday filed a disbarment case against the senator. Efren Battad had asked the Supreme Court to remove Santiago from the roll of attorneys in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He claimed that Santiago committed “serious misconduct" and violated Presidential Decree 1829 or the law penalizing obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders as well as the Canons of the Code of Professional Responsibility. Battad’s arguments were similar to those used by lawyer Nombraan Pangcoga in his December 21, 2009 disqualification complaint against the senator before the Commission on Elections. The two complainants both belong to the group Ako’y Moro whose petition for party-list accreditation was recently denied by the Comelec. "Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is of unsound mind," Battad’s complaint read. He claims that Santiago’s “insanity" is characterized by the following symptoms: “delusion of grandeur," “flight of ideas," “mood swings," “penchant for lying," and “paranoia." Battad also berated Santiago for allegedly “abusing" her power as public official “to defame and slander people." Santiago said it would not be good in the eyes of the public that the Cabinet member is attacking a guest candidate of the administration party. Santiago said she would name the Cabinet member when she delivers her privilege speech on January 18 during the resumption of the Senate session. She said the demolition job proved how “economical the Cabinet member is with the truth." "Kindly notice that both the Comelec petition and the disbarment complaint are handled by the same lawyer, who enjoys an unsavory reputation. My own lawyers will deal with these sham cases," she said. The disqualification and disbarment cases are both handled by lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan. According to Alentajan, the complainants have no personal grudge against the senator but were just disappointed that while the Comelec had allowed a politician to run despite her alleged “unsound mind," Ako’y Moro was barred by the poll body from joining the May elections. “Malas niya lang siya yung napili, siya kasi yung pinaka maingay (It’s unfortunate that she was the one picked by the group because she’s the noisiest)," said Alentajan. - AMITA O. LEGASPI/ARCS, GMANews.TV