Aquino waiting for legal panel’s recommendations on EO 1

President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday said he is still waiting for the recommendations of an expanded legal panel studying the Palace’s options on the Supreme Court’s rejection of his Executive Order No. 1 that created a Truth Commission. But Aquino, in an interview with reporters in Tarlac, said he had also suggested to his allies in Congress to look into the possibility of a dialogue – “within the bounds of law" – with the Supreme Court. “I am awaiting their recommendations, they are threshing out various scenarios ... pero wala pa sa atin ang recommendation," he said. Aquino ordered his legal team to study Malacañang’s options after the high court declared EO 1 unconstitutional last Tuesday. The high court had said the executive order, which created the Truth Commission to investigate alleged abuses under Aquino’s predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, violated equal protection rights. Some of Aquino’s allies in Congress had hinted at possible impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, who had been Mrs. Arroyo’s spokesman and chief of staff. On the other hand, Aquino said he has suggested to his allies in Congress to focus on the possibility of a dialogue with the judiciary instead of impeachment. “I was asked if I was considering impeachment. My answer, there are members of Congress who have been espousing the same for another justice. I told my allies that we may be focusing too much on impeachment. Perhaps we can have a dialogue within the bounds of law so we can all achieve what we want to do, that is to find out what happened in the last nine-and-a-half years under Mrs. Arroyo," he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV