Miriam: FVR challenge to invite Gaddafi to Senate probe a diversion

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Wednesday said the challenge of former President Fidel Ramos to invite ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to the Senate probe was just a diversion from accusations that he had received money from the foreign leader. "Ramos is trying to divert attention from his own crimes with ridiculous assertions that we must first invite Gaddafi who's beyond our reach," Santiago said in one of her tweets on Wednesday. Santiago lost to Ramos in the 1992 presidential elections. Santiago then filed an electoral protest which was later on dismissed by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal due to a "technicality." On Monday, Santiago called on the Senate blue ribbon and electoral reforms committees to investigate the US Embassy cable released by WikiLeaks which says that Ramos allegedly received $200,000 (equivalent to P5 million during that time) from Gaddafi when Ramos and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia visited Tripoli in 1992. Ramos had denied the allegation and dared Santiago to invite Gaddafi to the Senate to probe to shed light on the matter. Santiago, however, said the proposition was preposterous. "How can you possibly invite Gaddafi when even the International Criminal Court cannot serve him with a warrant of arrest?" she said in another tweet. "That shows infinite ignorance of international relations. And he writes about international relations as if he's an expert," she added. She then dared the former President, a retired military general, to capture Gaddafi himself. “He is whistling in the dark. He must be off his rocker. The challenge is geriatric ranting and raving. He is in a state of deep panic, and lashing out at me. I had nothing to do with the US cable nor with WikiLeaks," she said in statement released later in the day. “I am a laureate of the Magsaysay award for government service. Ramos is not a laureate of the Magsaysay award. End of debate," she added. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News