Press Release
March 25, 2008

Villar: SC decision against public's right to information unfortunate

Senate President Manny Villar, while respecting the Supreme Court (SC) decision favoring the President's privilege over the people's Constitutionally-guaranteed right to information, today said he is saddened by the decision that prevents the truth from coming out in the anomalous $329 million National Broadband deal.

"This is unfortunate. The SC decision on the Neri case is a historical blot in the nation's cherished tenets of democracy, truth and justice. We respect the decision of the SC but it has to be said that those three questions that magistrates said should not be asked, are the same questions that are left hanging on the people's minds," Villar said.

The Supreme Court, voting 9-6, ruled in favor of former Socio-economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri's plea preventing the Senate from ferreting out the truth on the three questions relevant to the broadband deal, namely: 1) Whether President Arroyo approved the project in spite of the bribery disclosure; 2) Whether she had dictated on Neri to approve the project; and 3) Whether she had followed up on her directive.

The High Court, by a vote of 10-5, also ruled as invalid the warrant of arrest issued by the Senate on January 30 against Neri.

"While we are saddened by this turn of events, our justices have spoken and it has to be respected. However, we assert that we are not faltering on our conviction that an official action offensive to human rights and disruptive of constitutionalism should not be legitimized," Villar said.

Villar added it will be interesting to know how the SC came out with the split decision, with justices favoring the Senate petition and justices siding with the administration's petition.

"We are firm in the belief that public interest is superior. It should come first before anything, and anyone else according to the Constitution. The institution of the Senate will remain an ally in the defense of the people's most cherished democratic rights," he said.

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