3 Makati officials ask Senate to spare them from arrest  

(Updated 8:39 p.m.) Three of the 17 people ordered arrested by the Senate for not attending the chamber's hearings on alleged anomalies in Makati City have asked the Blue Ribbon committee to reconsider its decision citing them in contempt.

Makati City Engineer Line dela Peña, Makati City human resource development office head and Public Employment Service Office (PESO) manager Vissia Marie Aldon, and Makati City Environmental Services Department head Danilo Villas said they are ready and willing to appear in the Senate's succeeding hearings.

In a letter received Tuesday by the Office of Senator Teofisto Guingona III and the Blue Ribbon Committee, Dela Peña said that she was not able to attend the hearings due to health problems.

“My health has been unstable since September  of 2014…I was confined due to sporadic diabetes and hypertension on September 9 to 12, 2014 and again on January 26 to 31, 2015. In the interim, I had to undergo several laboratory tests and take full rest upon the order of my attending physician,” she said.

She submitted her medical certificates, leave forms, and  laboratory test results as proof.

Senate President Franklin Drilon signed Tuesday the arrest order for 14 individuals, including Aldon and Villas, while three others, including Dela Pena, have a standing arrest order.

“I seek his Honor’s utmost understanding and compassion to reconsider its order of placing me in contempt and to lift the order of arrest issued against me. Please accept my commitment to attend any forthcoming proceeding of this committee,” Dela Peña said.

Aldon, in a letter sent Monday evening, said she was not able to attend the hearings because she was busy organizing the National Congress of the PESO Managers Association of the Philippines because she is its national president. The event was held in October 2015.

She attached in her letter the program of the 14th National PESO Congress held in General Santos City, South Cotabato on October 22 to 24, 2014.

She said she was also assured by their counsel that she need not attend the hearing pending the final resolution of the jurisdictional challenge they raised before the subcommittee.

She added that she also did not receive any order or notice asking her to explain her absence on the hearings she missed.

“She (Aldon) would like to assure your subcommittee and its honorable members that it was never her intention to defy or disobey the subpoenas or orders of your subcommittee. Her failure to attend was not deliberate and intentional but in good faith. She would like to assure the subcommittee of her willingness and readiness to appear in case she would be required in the succeeding hearings,” Aldon said.

For his part, Villas said that he did not attend the hearings on his lawyer's advice,  in order not to incriminate himself.

“Undersigned was advised by his lawyer not to appear in these hearings. He fears that his testimony might unnecessarily incriminate him. He, therefore, exercised and is exercising his right against self-incrimination,” he said.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said he has yet to read the letters.

“We will see what we can do because we are reasonable people. We understand that the next hearing is still on May 28, that is quite far away. If arrested immediately, they will be detained for more than a week. Naaawa din naman kami sa kanila pero nakatali na po iyong kamay ko. I have to really uphold the investigative power of the Senate, we have to enforce the rules,” he told reporters Tuesday.

He said he will let Guingona decide on the matter “but I will explore ways to be lenient or forgiving with Sen. Guingona.”

Guingona said the blue ribbon committee would need to meet again to discuss the appeal letters. However, as of now, he said the arrest orders are being enforced by the Senate sergeant-at-arms.

The Blue Ribbon Committee on Monday spared University of Makati head and Pag-IBIG board member Prof. Tomas Lopez and Engr. Mario Badillo from the arrest order after they promised the committee to attend the next hearings.

“Si Tomas Lopez at Engr. Badillo, they are safe from arrest. They have until Thursday to personally appear before the Blue Ribbon Committee office, sign a document or a written promise or a commitment that they will attend the hearing on May 28. But they have until Thursday to do it. If they do not do it, I think the chairman will issue an arrest order,” said Pimentel.

He said those ordered arrested will stay at the detention room of the Senate sergeant-at-arms but it will be on a first come, first serve basis as the place is small.

“First come, first serve ang aming detention center. Meaning to say pagka masyado na pong maraming tao sa detention center, the Senate will have to look for an alternative detention place for these people and one logical place is Pasay City Jail,” he said. - JJ/KBK, GMA News