MIRIAM DECRIES "MALICIOUS" NEWS REPORT

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago described as "malicious" the front-page news article appearing today in a daily claiming that she "blasted" Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III in a radio interview.

Last Friday, 14 September 2012, Santiago chaired a Senate public hearing on the allegations linking resigned DILG Undersecretary Rico E. Puno to jueteng, illegal logging, and anomalous procurement contracts of PNP guns. Only Cayetano and Pimentel attended the said hearing by the Senate committee on constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws.

Santiago said she was grateful to Cayetano and Pimentel for helping provide the quorum that allowed her committee to proceed with the hearing. She also said that far from criticizing Cayetano and Pimentel, she praised them in the radio interview for being independent-minded.

Last Friday's hearing showed direct contradiction between the statement of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., in his report on the Luneta hostage-taking incident, that Puno had control and supervision over the PNP, and Puno's claim during the hearing that this was not so. The hearing also proved that contrary to Puno's claim that he was a mere observer during PNP bidding conferences, he, in fact, called a meeting with the bidders in the 9mm gun deal, and instructed them to drop all protests against the winning bidder so there would not be a failure in bidding.