The Ombudsman’s investigating panel on the botched national broadband deal on Tuesday denied the motion to subpoena President Arroyo to its hearings, prompting the complainants’ lawyer to walk out of the session. 

Lawyer Jose de Jesus, spokesman for the investigating panel, said that the panel ruled that it does not have the jurisdiction over Ms. Arroyo because she is immune from suits while she is sitting as President.

The President, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, former Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos, and former National Economic and Development Authority chair Romulo Neri are among the respondents to the complaint filed by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona.

Laywer Harry Roque, who is both a complainant and counsel for the Guingona case, asked permission to be excused from participating after the panel junked his motion to summon Arroyo to the investigation.

Roque said the panel’s decision “[undermines] the power of the ombudsman to [establish] public officials’ accountability” and asked the panel to excuse him from participating so he could “devote time to the drafting of proper pleading.”

“We lost an opportunity to be heard,” he said. Roque added his only option was to question the legality of the panel’s decision in the Supreme Court by filing a petition for certiorari.

De Jesus said that while Roque is inclined to question the panel’s decision, the proceedings for the eight other cases will continue. The panel is investigating nine cases pertaining to the NBN deal.
  
The panel, headed by Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzales III, also ruled to withhold the issuance of subpoena to Joe Taruc, the commentator of the radio program where President Arroyo admitted that she knew of the allegations of corruption in the broadband project even before she signed the contract for it.

Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos, a member of the investigating panel, said it was not yet the proper time to summon Taruc because they “are still in the preliminary investigation stage.”

The panel will request the Senate to furnish the panel copies of documents and transcripts of the testimonies of witnesses in the investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. (abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak)

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