Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon expressed confidence that Atty. Manases Carpio’s case against House Justice Committee members would be junked very soon, as it has no sound legal basis.
“Wala ‘yang kaepe-epekto, inaasahan nga namin dapat mababasura ng piskal ‘yan sa pinakamaagang panahon, kasi wala naman pong batayan ‘yang reklamong ‘yan,” Ridon said during an exclusive interview on Damdaming Bayan.
As a member of the justice committee, he noted that Carpio’s camp did not file a perjury case contesting the disclosed bank transactions, which was tantamount to confession. The charges render the figures beyond dispute, the lawmaker said.
“Unang-una sa lahat, e kung nagkaso po sila, hindi po na perjury; nagkaso sila, nagrereklamo sila, mayro’n daw disclosure, e di parang inamin po nila ‘yung mga bilyon, ano. Inaamin po nila yung ₱6.77 billion na total na transactions ng mag-asawa. Inaamin po nila ‘yung ₱4.4 billion na pumasok po sa mga accounts nila. Inaamin po nila ‘yung ₱1.5 billion na lumabas po sa mga accounts nila,” he said.
First, Ridon pointed out that the confidentiality provision did not apply to impeachment proceedings, making it possible to investigate allegedly corrupt government officials.
“Ang sabi po nila, ‘Dapat may confidentiality, absolute confidentiality.’ Pero hindi po nabasa ng abogado niya na may susunod pong paragraph doon sa sinasabi nilang confidentiality. Mayro’n pong information exchange sa pagitan po ng mga opisina. Kasi nga, kung ‘yun ‘yung magiging posisyon niya, e ‘di wala na pong maiimbestigahan ng money laundering,” he said, referring to the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) duty to probe possible money laundering offenses.
The lawmaker stressed that the subpoena for the couple’s bank transactions was anchored in the Constitution.
“Again, ‘yun ngang subpoena sa AMLC, ito po ay hindi nakabatay sa batas. Ito po ay nakabatay sa Konstitusyon dahil ito po ay nagmumula doon sa kapangyarihan ng Kongreso na makahingi ng mga dokumento para sa isang impeachment proceeding,” Ridon said, adding that the Bank Secrecy Law makes an exception for impeachment cases.
He also refuted lawyers’ statements claiming that the disclosure of private information such as bank transactions, can only be done during the Senate impeachment trial, as proceedings are already underway.
The congressman said that there was a complainant, a case, and the respondent was also being asked to provide their account on the issue.
His second main point was that Carpio was no ordinary citizen, being the husband of the second-highest official in the country and sharing her wealth.
“Sa mga palusot nila, pribadong tao daw si Atty. Carpio. ‘Ordinaryo’ sabi nga nila kamo, ordinaryong mamamayan po daw si Atty. Carpio. Pero hindi po totoo ‘yan. Una, asawa mo na ‘yung Pangalawang Pangulo, pangalawang pinakamataas na tao sa bansa,” Ridon told the anchors.
“Pero ‘yung mga sinusumite po nilang dokumento, magkasama sila, e. ‘Yung ITR (Income Tax Return) po nila, joint filing po sila doon. ‘Yun pong SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth) ng Pangalawang Pangulo, ‘yung mga pag-aari po ni Atty. Carpio, nakalista po doon,” he explained.
Moreover, Ridon pointed out that if Carpio truly could not be investigated as an ordinary citizen, all high-ranking officials could then register their ill-gotten wealth and assets under their spouses’ names.
In principle, wives and their husbands share properties and wealth, he added.
The last impeachment hearing at the House Committee on Justice will be held tomorrow, April 29. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag will be questioned in order to tackle the “clear” threats that Vice President Sara Duterte made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, as Ridon described it.
In the afternoon of the same day, the committee will be voting for or against probable cause. Furthermore, the sealed box from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), if unopened, will be sent to the Senate for the impeachment trial.
