House bribery probe pushed

The House leadership formally asked the chamber's committee on ethics yesterday to start the investigation into the alleged bribery involving the passage of the controversial Omnibus Power Bill, and to determine the real motive behind the charges of whistleblower Rep. Renato Magtubo (Sanlakas).

Deputy Speaker for the Visayas Erico Aumentado (LAMP, Bohol) wrote committee chairman Alipio Badelles (LAMP, Lanao del Norte), urging him to look into allegations that the exposé was made after the party-list lawmaker failed to convince his colleagues to pass a bill seeking a P125 daily wage increase.

Magtubo represents the left-leaning Sanlakas and the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, a breakaway faction of the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno.

Recently, several lawmakers assailed Magtubo after House security found out that his partymates were responsible for vandalizing and spray-painting the walls of the chamber.

In his letter, Aumentado also noted that there was a pending ethics case against Magtubo for his allegations that several members of the House of Representatives were in the payroll of businessman Lucio Tan "simply because Congress did not intervene in the resolution of the labor strikes and lockouts at Philippine Airlines."

Last week, Magtubo and another party-list lawmaker, Loretta Ann Rosales, claimed congressmen each received P500,000 as a gift for approving the power bill in marathon sessions last April 11 and 12. Approval of the bill paves the way for the privatization of state-owned National Power Corp.

Several congressmen have denied receiving any money in connection with the passage of the bill.

Aumentado said the bribery charges has "damaged considerably the image of the House of Representatives as an institution as well as those of its members."

"Magtubo and Rosales must be given the opportunity to prove their sweeping allegations that attendance in the sessions was by reason of payola," he said.

Aumentado said "an honest-to-goodness inquiry must be carried out immediately by the ethics committee in order to find the truth and mete out the proper punishment for those who would undermine the honor and integrity of the House."

"I pray that the committee on ethics shall follow the guidepost of utmost impartiality and letting justice be done though heavens may fall," he added.