Push Admin

Despite De Lima plea, Gordon blocks CHR witnesses’ testimony

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<h3>Gordon, De Lima clash anew; lady senator’s motion dismissed roughly</h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/10/101316_dick.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Senators Leila de Lima and Richard Gordon are seen during the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing held at the Senate in Pasay City, Metro Manila on 13 October 2016. The Senate is conducting an investigation on the recent rampant extrajudicial killings and summary executions of suspected criminals. (Voltaire Domingo/NPPA IMAGES)</div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA – Senate committee on justice chairman Dick Gordon on Thursday blocked witnesses of the Commission on Human Rights from testifying on suspected extra-judicial killings.Gordon also attempted but failed to shift the focus of the hearing to the possible reinstatement of the death penalty. This is after other resource persons admitted they were only prepared to testify on drug-related slays.The senator dropped the original plan to hear testimonies from CHR witnesses after a CHR commissioner supposedly insulted the Senate by calling him a “<a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/12/16/gordon-demands-apology-from-chr">coward</a>” for indefinitely suspending the investigation last week.“I am a great supporter of human rights but human rights also means human duties. No one has a franchise on insulting people, especially the Senate of this country. I have communicated this to the concerned people and they know what I am talking about,” he said.He also told the CHR that it should not have come to the hearing “if you do not want to respect the committee, if you did not want to respect the institution of the Senate.”Senator Leila de Lima, however, motioned that CHR witnesses deserve to testify as they have been preparing since the the start of the inquiry and some of them were even from the province.She said CHR chairperson Chito Gascon should be given a chance to explain the remarks of CHR Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz on Gordon’s “cowardice.”In a second motion, she also urged the panel to defer the death penalty discussion until the three-day notice rule is followed, in order to give lawmakers and resource persons sufficient time to prepare.Dubbing the bill a “very important piece of legislation”, she said lawmakers “cannot just infuse it with the inquiry into extra-judicial killings.”In reply, Gordon exclaimed: “I will not be dissuaded. You can only have one motion at a time, and you’re out of order.”“You cannot control this the way you controlled it last time. I don’t want to fight with you. But let me just point out, I will not veer from the purpose of this investigation,” he added.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="345" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DyeWzmG5RAY" width="613"></iframe></figure>De Lima then withdrew her second motion, but Gordon talked over her, saying “You accuse the President, sasabihin ganoon [you say this]… Tapos pupunta kayo dito, may gagawin kayo [then you come here, do something here].”De Lima then shot back: “Hindi po appropriate na kung ano-anong hinahalo niyo na issue [It&#x27;s not appropriate that you mix other things in the issue].”“Anong hinahalo? Ikaw ang naghahalo at hindi kita papatulan [What mixing? You are the one mixing things up, I will not take you seriously],” Gordon fired back, before ordering De Lima’s motions to be put to vote.But no senator seconded De Lima’s motion and these were overruled.Despite this, a tight-lipped De Lima continued to posit that the plenary was “not the proper venue” to settle the matter.But Gordon again cut her off: “I stand corrected. You obviously have all the answers. I bow to your knowledge, it’s brilliant.”De Lima attempted to reply, but Gordon curtly dismissed her, saying “Noted, noted. You are not recognized anymore.”Gordon then allowed <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/13/16/watch-pacquiao-wants-death-penalty-for-heinous-crimes-involving-drugs">Senator Emmanuel &quot;Manny&quot; Pacquiao</a>, one of the authors of the death penalty law, to sponsor his bill.De Lima later asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other resource persons if they are prepared to testify on the death penalty, instead of drug-related slays, as originally planned.“In relation to the issue of discussing the death penalty bill, may we know whether an amended or subsequent notice was also issued to the PNP and the other offices today… and whether they are prepared to participate in today’s proceedings in relation to that bill,” she asked.The PNP answered in the negative, prompting Gordon to say: “In the case, if none…I’m sorry, you weren’t properly notified by the secretary. We will now proceed to the police with what you were here for.”The CHR, meanwhile, said that a media report headlined “CHR slams Gordon for suspension of Senate inquiry” was inaccurate.“[It’s] not accurate, as the Commission En Banc has not deliberated any position on the matter. The Commission respects the independence of the Senate and recognizes its authority to conduct hearings, in accordance with its own rules,” the CHR statement read.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">READ: Statement of the Commission on Human Rights about the Senate probe on alleged extrajudicial killings | via <a href="https://twitter.com/ZandroDZMM">@ZandroDZMM</a> <a href="https://t.co/rkPacy5FPB">pic.twitter.com/rkPacy5FPB</a>— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews/status/786394318995009537">October 13, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Guaranteeing that it is ready to offer its assistance, the constitutional body also said it hopes that lawmakers will &quot;come up with fair and credible results, cognizant of the latter’s independence and competence.&quot;The Senate inquiry into the rampant killing of drug suspects amid the government&#x27;s anti-drug drive was also disrupted last week after De Lima and Gordon were in a heated argument concerning witness Edgar Matobato, a professed hitman, who had linked President Duterte to vigilante killings in his hometown of Davao City.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/03/16/gordon-de-lima-hid-vital-info-on-matobato">Gordon: De Lima hid vital info on Matobato</a></li></ul>

Curtly rejecting the opposition of Senator Leila de Lima, Senate committee on justice chairman Dick Gordon on Thursday pushed back its investigation into extra-judicial killings and instead tackled the reinstatement of the death penalty law.

Curtly rejecting the opposition of Senator Leila de Lima, Senate committee on justice chairman Dick Gordon on Thursday pushed back its investigation into extra-judicial killings and instead tackled the reinstatement of the death penalty law.