Palace welcomes legal challenges to truth body

(Updated 4:05 p.m.) Malacañang welcomed Wednesday a plan by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's allies to question the constitutionality of the Truth Commission before the Supreme Court. Presidential Communications Group official Herminio Coloma said Mrs. Arroyo's allies, including some legislators, have the right to question President Benigno Aquino III's Executive Order No. 1 before the Supreme Court. "Most welcome ang balak ninuman especially our leaders sa ibang sangay ng pamahalaan ng kwestyunin ang constitutionality or legality of EO 1 [creating], the Truth Commission. Karapatan nila yan. We welcome any move to bring it to the Supreme Court para magkaroon ng linaw," he said in an interview on dzXL radio. (The plan of some groups, including those from other branches of government, to question the executive order creating the Truth Commission is most welcome. It is their right; and bringing the issue to the high court would shed more light to it.) A presidential ally, Senator Franklin Drilon, said he could not "comprehend" the criticisms against the creation of the truth body since Mrs. Arroyo herself had similar commissions formed during her nine-year presidency. "The creation of the Truth Commission under the Aquino administration is no different from the creation of the Feliciano Commission and the Melo Commission that were created through executive orders issued by President Arroyo," he said. The Feliciano Commission was formed in 2003 look into the circumstances that led to July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny. It was headed by former SC Associate Justice Florentino Feliciano. On the other hand, the Melo Commission was created in 2006 to investigate the spate of media killings during the Arroyo administration. It was headed by former SC Associate Justice and now Elections chairman Jose Melo. EO 1 Through EO 1, President Aquino created the Truth Commission that will look into alleged abuses during the administration of Mrs. Arroyo, who is now a lawmaker representing Pampanga’s second legislative district. While Coloma dared critics to question the legality of EO 1, he said the Palace is not worried if the Supreme Court, whose members are appointees of Mrs. Arroyo, will rule against the executive order. What Malacañang expects, he said, is that the high court's justices will act based on their sworn duty to uphold the 1987 Constitution. "We want to affirm the institutional integrity. The Supreme Court is an important institution, and this administration wants the high court's justices to fulfill their sworn duty," he said. On Tuesday, the minority bloc in the House of Representatives said it will challenge the constitutionality of the Truth Commission before the SC. [See: Arroyo allies to challenge truth body before SC] Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said they will file the petition within the week or early next week. Lagman clarified that the Arroyos in the House of Representatives will not be among the petitioners. — with Kim Tan/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV