A former solon criticized the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing led by the camp of Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Rodante Marcoleta, calling it a calculated attempt to damage reputations instead of a genuine inquiry in aid of legislation.
“How can an alleged hearing be credible when the ingredients are obviously lacking?,” former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said, questioning the manner by which names were supposedly read during the proceedings.
He claimed Marcoleta selectively mentioned names from a list allegedly linked to the joint affidavit of 18 former employees of Zaldy Co, while deliberately leaving out others. He pointed in particular to Senator Loren Legarda, who he said was included in the original affidavit but was not mentioned during the hearing.
According to Barbers, Legarda had previously been associated with another Senate bloc but has since aligned with the group of Cayetano and Marcoleta.
“Either the list given to him has been sanitized, or he did not mention the name deliberately, as their group is in good symbiotic company with those he did not mention,” Barbers said.
He further alleged that the omission exposed the political nature of the hearing, saying the proceedings appeared designed to shield allies while targeting perceived opponents.
“At least we can now clearly see that they were not engaged in an impartial investigation in aid of legislation but in exoneration in aid of destabilization. Maliwanag na maliwanag, destabilization playbook ang sinusunod nila,” Barbers said.
The former lead of the House Quad Committee also said the conduct of the hearing showed what he described as a “bogus assembly” meant to clear allies and destroy adversaries.
Barbers cited the way the resource persons were escorted, the guided questioning, and the manner by which Cayetano and Marcoleta allegedly greeted them after the proceedings as signs that the hearing was staged to support a political narrative.
“Actions indeed speak louder than words. Kayo na ang humusga,” Barbers said.