ON THE EXECUTIVE'S NO-SHOW AT THE SENATE
WIRETAPPING HEARING ...

"The Committee on National Defense and Security should ask these Executive officials why they again failed to appear in the Senate hearing today. Should their explanation be unsatisfactory, the Senate must execute its power to cite them in contempt. We should not allow illegal orders from Malacañang to prevent us from fulfilling our constitutional duty to act as check and balance on the Executive department and our constitutional duty to legislate and to conduct hearings in aid of legislation. Nanggaling na tayo sa usaping ito noong isang taon nang ipagbawal din ng Malacañang ang pagdalo ng mga myembro ng Executive branch. But the Supreme Court already ruled that EO 464 is illegal. Malacañang's continued refusal to have its officials appear in hearings in aid of legislation and the illegal use of EO 464 should never be allowed. We will not take the matter sitting down and we will exhaust all legal remedies available to protect and uphold the Constitution from this latest disregard by the Executive department."