Ad hoc panel to probe House security breach

The House of Representatives delegated to an ad hoc committee late Monday the task of conducting an inquiry on the alleged 2004 breach of security at the Batasang Pambansa compound in Quezon City to replace original election returns (ERs) with fake ones. House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tañada said the chamber chose to assign the probe to the ad hoc panel instead of the Committee on Suffrage “so as not to bog down the legislative work of the committee." Tañada said the House tasked the panel to determine if a security breach did take place six years ago. The panel is supposed to submit a report on its findings within 30 session days. It was given the power to issue subpoenas subject to the approval of House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Last month, Senior Superintendent Rafael Santiago came out with a detailed account of the alleged switching of election paraphernalia to supposedly ensure the victory of then administration candidate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Other members of the committee include House Minority Floor Leader and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia, Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, AN WARAY party-list Rep. Florencio Noel, Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, chair of the electoral reforms committee. — ELR/VS, GMA News