Senate President Franklin Drilon said even before criticisms against lawmakers by President Arroyo, the Senate is willing to sit down and talk about reconciliation.
Drilon said it is up to President Arroyo’s camp whether or not to respond to their call for reconciliation, and that a dialogue is "a matter for Malacañang to decide."
"The Senate has stated its position. In fact, the 12 senators have signed a manifesto. I have made a public statement even before the manifesto was signed. We are open for a dialogue. The ball is in Malacañang’s court," Drilon said.
Twelve senators signed a manifesto calling for a constructive dialogue between the President and the 24 senators last week.
However, Arroyo’s camp insisted that the best proof of the Senate’s sincerity to hold a dialogue is the immediate release of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales from their custody, which has been strongly opposed by the senators.
Gonzales was slapped with contempt by Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for his refusal to answer questions on the Venable LLP contract which he signed in behalf of the government.
Drilon reiterated that as part of its oversight functions, the Senate will continue its investigations on alleged irregular government deals.
He urged the Supreme Court to immediately resolve the issue on Executive Order 464, which barred the administration officials from appearing before Congressional hearings without approval from the President.
He said the order hampers the ability of the chamber to conduct inquiries either in aid of legislation or in exercise of its oversight functions.
"There is still a need for the case to be decided (on) without prejudice to the dialogue that is proposed. I will repeat what I’ve said: I am open to a dialogue," he said.
Sixteen senators have filed a petition questioning the legality of the E.O. 464 and asking the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional.
"But the matter of the petition for certiorari which the Senate as an institution and 16 senators filed with the Supreme Court is a matter that must be decided as a constitutional issue," he said.
Unfazed by the Chief Executive’s accusation against Senate of destabilization, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he remains firm to reveal the truth on the alleged irregularities in the government deals.
"There are many anomalies that are happening in this administration and she is at the center of them. And when we criticize the anomalies, she gets angry. As senators, we could not just close our eyes to these anomalies at the risk of being accused of abdicating our constitutional duty," Pimentel said.
Pimentel said the Senate will not be cowed by President Arroyo’s attempts to muzzle the Senate and prevent it from uncovering the truth behind the government deals that are of her own making.
Pimentel said "it is the height of arrogance and myopia for the President to equate the Senate’s exercise of its investigative powers or ‘fiscalization’ of the administration with destabilization."
