The Senate is set to start this week its investigation into the reported proliferation of 鈥渢anim-bala鈥� scam in the country with airport officials and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya invited as resource persons.
The hearing will be conducted jointly by the Senate committee on public services headed by its acting chairman, Senator Sergio 鈥淪erge鈥� Osme帽a III and the Senate blue ribbon committee being headed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III.
鈥淲e hope [to begin the investigation] this Thursday,鈥� Osme帽a told reporters on Tuesday.
READ: DOTC鈥檚 Joseph Emilio Abaya in Senate for MRT-LRT probe |
Aside from Abaya , Osme帽a said Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, and Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-Avsegroup) Director Pablo Francisco Balagtas will be among those who will be invited to face the Senate probe.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) report if it will be ready. We鈥檙e trying to invite those who have been arrested but have since been released. And then we want to have their stories on record,鈥� he said.
鈥淣aawa ako lalong-lalo na sa mga OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] na navi-victimize ng sindikato na ito . (I feel bad for the overseas Filipino workers who are being victimized by this syndicate.) And we want it exposed and we want to put pressure on those who are responsible for allowing this to happen, wittingly or unwittingly, this has been going on too long and nobody has been arrested. They are arresting the ones who are the victims,鈥� the senator added.
Asked if he also believed that the scam was being perpetrated by a syndicate, Osme帽a categorically answered in the affirmative.
鈥淵es, I believe it has to be done by a syndicate because there are those who will plant the bullets, then later on a different person collects the money鈥︹€� he pointed out.
READ: DOTC Sec. Abaya plays down resignation calls
Asked again if Abaya should resign for his failure to solve the problem in the airport, Osme帽a said: 鈥淗e should have resigned a long time ago, but what can I do? KKK.鈥�
The KKK that he was referring to was the so-called 鈥渒abarkada, kabarilan at kaklase鈥� of President Benigno Aquino III who were appointed in his Cabinet.
Osme帽a had long been calling for Abaya鈥檚 resignation even before this new scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. CDG