Lagman said the committee had violated its own rules when it allowed Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to ask his own witnesses questions.
“Under the rules of the House, under tradition, the lawyer (of the witnesses) cannot direct questions to the witness. He should pass the questions through the committee or the chair of the committee,” Lagman said.
Read more: inquirer.net
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said allowing Aguirre to lead the House inquiry was a violation of the House rules because only members of the committee should be allowed to grill the witnesses.
“If Aguirre is acting as counsel of the witnesses, under the rules of the House and under tradition, the lawyer cannot direct questions to the witness. He should pass questions through the committee or committee chair,” Lagman said
“What happened is violation of rules of House,” Lagman added.
Read more: inquirer.net
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Tuesday clarified that the immunity from suit granted to six witnesses in a House probe on the proliferation of illegal drugs in the New Bilibid Prison was not absolute.
During a news conference, Lagman said the immunity given to four Bilibid inmtaes and two National Bureau of Investigation officials could be withdrawn if their testimonies would be proven untrue.
Read more: gmanetwork.com
MANILA, Philippines -- Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Tuesday slammed the ouster of Senator Leila de Lima as chair of the committee on justice and human rights, likening it to an “extrajudicial killing.”
“The premeditated removal of De Lima was a summary punishment for her crusade to stop the proliferation of a culture of violence,” Lagman said. “It is a blockage of the search for truth.”
Read more: interaksyon.com
PRESS STATEMENT
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman
1st District, Albay
0916-6406731
20 September 2016
An "extrajudicial killing" occurred in the Senate with the ouster of Senator Leila De Lima as Chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
The premeditated removal of De Lima was a summary punishment for her crusade to stop the proliferation of a culture of violence.
It is a blockage of the search for truth.
Arguments of protecting the Chief Executive’s image as well as of the country in the international community is a lame excuse for disallowing a legislative inquiry to go through its course under a militant chair.
It is a patent censorship and suppression of an independent legislative inquiry.
The investigation cannot anymore continue unimpeded under the threat of coercive measures.
The ouster of De Lima hangs as a sword of Damocles and a stern warning to other Senate Committee Chairs that they must “behave”, otherwise they would be axed.
Inter-chamber courtesy cannot bar the condemnation of acts inimical to the democratic process and an independent legislative investigation, an inherent power of legislatures.
EDCEL C. LAGMAN
