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Ex-DND chief Reyes asks 4 senators to inhibit themselves from Senate inquiry


(Updated 12:47 p.m.) Former defense chief Angelo Reyes on Thursday asked four senators to inhibit themselves from the Senate inquiry on the alleged corruption in the military. In a letter to the Senate blue ribbon committee, Reyes' lawyer Bonifacio Alentajan said the four senators who should inhibit themselves from participating in Thursday's Senate inquiry because they have "lost their cold neutrality" are:
  • Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada;
  • Senator Antonio Trillanes IV;
  • Senator Francis Escudero, and
  • Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Reyes had earlier expressed disbelief at the actions of Estrada, who brought former military fund manager George Rabusa to last week's Senate hearing which was supposed to focus on Garcia's plea bargaining agreement. Trillanes, on the other hand, named Reyes as the "powerful man" behind Garcia while Santiago has always been a critic of the former DND chief. Meanwhile, Escudero accused Reyes of resorting to "squid tactics" when he filed charges against Estrada and Rabusa before the Office of the Ombudsman.
    But Santiago, Estrada and Escudero refused to inhibit themselves from the probe. Santiago even chided Reyes' lawyer — Bonifacio Alentajan — for supposedly thinking that he can choose which senators will hear the corruption allegations involving his client. "That kind of ignorance can only come form a one-celled amoeba," she said during the hearing. Estrada, for his part, maintained that it is his duty to participate in the inquiry as an elected official. "This is about people knowing the truth and ferreting corruption. If I have pieces of evidence against corrupon I am wiling to expose that," he said, adding that he did not help Rabusa come out because of personal vendetta. Back in 2001, Reyes, then the military chief, led the Armed Forces leadership in withdrawing its support from then President Joseph Estrada. The move later led to Estrada's ouster and the assumption of then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the presidency. Escudero, for his part, also said that he will still "actively participate" in the deliberations of the Senate investigation. As of posting time, GMANews.TV was still trying to get the comment of Trillanes. During last week's hearing, Rabusa accused Reyes of allegedly receiving around P100 million during his stint as AFP chief of staff and not less than P50 million more as "pabaon" (send-off money) when he retired in 2001. However, blue ribbon committe chairman Senator Teofisto Guingona III, who read Alentajan's letter during Thursday's hearing, said it is up to the four senators whether they would oblige to Reyes' request. — VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV
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