(UPDATE) SEN. JV Ejercito said the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, which he leads, on Tuesday tackled the first of eight pending complaints against fellow senators.
The senator on Tuesday convened the ethics panel to process pending complaints on a first-in, first-out basis (FIFO) following the constitution of its members and the effectivity of its rules.
At least six senators were facing complaints on various grounds, including Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Escudero, Risa Hontiveros, and Ejercito himself.
Ejercito declined to indicate the respondent of the complaint that was first discussed. He said two senators were facing more than one complaint.
“We will follow the process. No complaint will be prioritized,” Ejercito said in Filipino, citing the FIFO rule.
The committee opened its first formal meeting to begin acting on pending complaints and distributed copies of “Docket No. 1,” which met filing requirements.
Ejercito said the panel will convene again on May 4 to “discuss formally [the first complaint] and hopefully dispose of Docket No. 1.” He said some of the complaints “are not in compliance” with the panel rules. “We shall be returning them. But Docket [No.] 1 was found to be in form and substance. We will furnish the copy to the respondent.” Ejercito said the panel also took up preliminary matters, including rules on inhibition to ensure impartial deliberations.
He said any member facing a complaint will not take part in discussions on the case.
Ejercito said he would inhibit when his own case is taken up by the committee.
A replacement from the same bloc will be designated to maintain quorum and continuity in the proceedings.
A civil society group led by former Finance undersecretary Cielo Magno filed a complaint against dela Rosa for his continued absence from official duties for more than three months.
Ejercito was facing an ethics complaint for his alleged failure to act immediately on the case filed against Escudero, who had been accused of accepting campaign funds from a contractor.
Hontiveros has been accused of “witness tampering” in relation to her investigation on the alleged sexual and labor abuses of some members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ by its founder, Apollo Quiboloy.
