House may send observer to Singson HK trial, says Belmonte

To get first hand information on the drug case against Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is planning to send a representative to monitor the trial in Hong Kong. "I’m thinking of sending a representative to go to the hearing in his case in Hong Kong as an observer for the House," Belmonte said at a press conference early Thursday evening. He said the observer could be a House official or a congressman. Belmonte said another option is to ask Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to make sure that representatives of the Philippine government are present during the hearing. "Right now we hardly know anything about the case, I get the information [only] from the media," he lamented. Belmonte said he had talked with Singson’s father, Ilocos Sur Gov Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson, but the latter was tight-lipped on the case. "Wala naman siyang information na ibinibigay and I said how can we help, wala rin naman siyang hinihinging tulong." Belmonte reiterated that the House will give the younger Singson the benefit of the doubt, and that the Ilocos Sur representative will remain as their member until he is convicted of the charges and an ethics case for his expulsion, if ever, is filed and subsequently decided on. (See: Detained Singson still a House member) Singson was arrested at the Customs Arrival Hall of Chek Lap Kok International Airport on July 11, where he yielded 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of diazepam, commonly known as the brand name Valium. The lawmaker had already entered a not guilty plea on the charges filed against him. "(The drug case) of course is a very serious thing but still, serious or not, we have to go by our rules and the constitutional mandate to give everybody due process so we’ll give him due process," Belmonte said. Ecleo's case But Belmonte seemed to be taking a different stance in the case of Dinagat Rep. Ruben Ecleo who is facing a parricide case for the death of his wife, Alona Bacolod-Ecleo. Ecleo, supreme leader of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA), was charged with the death of Alona on Jan. 5, 2002. Although the case against him is non-bailable, Ecleo was able to post bail upon the request of his lawyers who claimed that their client is suffering from severe heart ailment. "Hindi ko nalalaman yung case ni Ecleo, we have to find out exactly what is his status," Belmonte said. Asked if the House will be giving Ecleo protection once his bail is canceled, the Speaker replied in the negative. "No, we will not. In fact, he won’t be able to get his salary if he cannot render service here because he is prevented by an official action of a government body. Talagang hindi siya makakasweldo rito," he said. Asked if Ecleo can still file bills, Belmonte said yes, but when pressed on what will happen with the lawmaker's staff, the House leader said he will think it over. "Let’s get to that point when it happens. Basta ako I’m just saying that the courts have to take a look at it especially as reported in the press that it was because of his sickness that he was allowed to post bail," he said. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV