Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Should former President Rodrigo Duterte be invited once the Senate begins its investigation of his so-called gentleman鈥檚 agreement with China?
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said it would be up to the chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on who to invite.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say that I want to see them, but the committee and the Senate鈥檚 job is to get information, as much as possible, straight from the horse鈥檚 mouth, so to speak 鈥� what really transpired, the truth in aid of legislation,鈥� Hontiveros told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday.
It was Hontiveros who filed Senate Resolution No. 982 which initially sought a probe on the former chief executive鈥檚 alleged secret pact with China on 鈥渕aintaining status quo鈥� in the West Philippine Sea.
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The opposition lawmaker鈥檚 resolution was recently referred to the Senate panel on foreign relations which is headed by Sen. Imee Marcos.
Putting together the agenda
In a separate ambush interview also Wednesday, Marcos said her committee is still trying to 鈥減ut together the agenda, the resource persons list and see who would be willing to attend鈥� the probe.
Asked if she鈥檚 leaning toward inviting Duterte to the hearing, she immediately said: 鈥淚 still don鈥檛 know. We are still listing down the relevant people.
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Marcos likewise shunned the idea of holding an executive session on the issue instead of a public hearing.
鈥淲e can always withdraw into an executive session, but my preference is that there鈥檚 no need to conduct an executive session for us to uncover everything. If there鈥檚 really a secret, it would stay hidden if we鈥檙e going to conduct an executive session. What鈥檚 the purpose of that?鈥� said Marcos.
In April, Duterte admitted that he had entered into a 鈥済entleman鈥檚 agreement鈥� with China. He, however, emphasized that the Philippines did not concede anything with this pact.
鈥淎side from the聽 handshake with President Xi Jinping, the only thing I remember was that status quo. That鈥檚 the word 鈥� no movement. No movement, no armed patrols there. As is where is, so that there鈥檚 no trouble鈥β� So we won鈥檛 get into trouble,鈥� said Duterte then.