MANILA,Philippines (PNA) -– Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Friday that former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot can ask for a writ of habeas corpus from the Supreme Court if the latter feels he was unlawfully detained inside the Senate building. ”Well, it’s up to him. He can go to the Supreme Court and ask for a writ of habeas corpus,” Enrile said.
The Senate blue ribbon committee cited Ligot and his wife Erlinda in contempt for refusing to attend the last Senate inquiry on the corruption in the military.
The Ligot couple cited health reason for their absence but upon examination, the Senate doctors declared the two “could have attended” the eighth Senate investigation on Thursday.
Due to humanitarian consideration, Enrile issued detention order only against Ligot and excluded his wife who has been experiencing irregular blood pressure and palpitations.
”That’s why I told to my colleagues to be careful in dealing with the wife,” Enrile said.
Enrile and Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona said Gen. Ligot has the right to explore all the legal options with regard to his detention inside the Senate.
The two senators, however, maintained that the Senate did the right decision in citing the Ligot couple in contempt because they abused the patience of the blue ribbon panel members.
Guingona insisted the Ligots improperly invoked their rights against self-incrimination just to avoid questions which were no longer related to the forfeiture case filed against them before the Sandiganbayan.
The Senate is on a six-week Lenten break but Guingona said they will continue holding more hearings where he expects the Ligots to finally refrain from invoking their rights against self-incrimination.
Enrile and Guingona said that Ligot will only be released if he would cooperate and answer questions in the next hearing.
Enrile, however, believed that whether the Ligots speak up or not about their questionable wealth, the blue ribbon can now make committee report that would be needed in crafting law that would prevent corruption in the military.
”The blue ribbon has already conclusions that can be used in making recommendations and report on the issue of corruption in the military,” Enrile said.
But Guingona has said that the committee still has to conduct more hearings on the reforms that the Armed Forces of the Philippines leadership has implemented to prevent corruption.
