SENATOR Erwin T. Tulfo cautioned justice officials against prematurely issuing arrest warrants related to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s draft report, emphasizing the need for airtight evidence before acting on cases implicating three senators.
Tulfo confirmed that representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento Fadullon were part of a closed-door consultation attended by several senators including Sherwin Gatchalian, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, and Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“Well, nag-exchange lang ng notes and ideas,” Tulfo explained, adding that the briefing was informal and not attended by the full committee. “It’s like a consultation… pinopolish na lang yung committee report kasi draft lang yung una.”
The meeting sought alignment on the final report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Senator Lacson, particularly on the strength of evidence supporting possible charges against the unnamed senators. Tulfo clarified that no members of the minority bloc were present during the session.
Tulfo raised the question directly to DOJ and Ombudsman officials: “Do we have an airtight case? Kasi sayang, kung hindi naman, what are we talking about here?”
He said the DOJ responded that they would not issue warrants without strong evidence: “Hindi naman ho kami maglalabas ng mga warrants of arrest kung wala ho kaming matibay [na ebidensya].”
He warned against the risk of repeating the failures seen in the Janet Napoles cases: “This is like a déjà vu… file tayo nang file ng case, tapos wala naman pala nangyari. Dismissed din.
Nagsasayang tayo. Nagsasayang ang oras ng DOJ, Ombudsman, ang Senate.”
Senator Loren Legarda reportedly echoed this concern, cautioning that officials involved should not be subjected to “trial by publicity” if the evidence is weak.
Despite assurances of ongoing efforts, Tulfo inferred that no arrest warrants have been issued yet: “Parang ang basa ko ngayon, hindi sila kaagad makalabas ng warrant of arrest because meron silang binubuo pa.” However, he stressed that this was his interpretation, not an official statement: “They didn’t say that. Ako nagtanong, nag-raise noon. That was my conclusion.”
Asked about the committee report’s readiness for plenary discussion, Tulfo admitted he had not reviewed the full draft, which reportedly runs 400 pages. “Honestly, hindi ko pa talaga nakita,” he said, pointing reporters to Senator Lacson’s staff for details.
He also noted mixed reactions among his colleagues: “May iba na hesitant… may kulang, parang malamya.” Some senators reportedly found the report strongly worded, while others felt it lacked substance.
As of the interview date, Tulfo said it was unclear whether the committee could gather the required 11 signatures to bring the draft report to the plenary, especially with the Senate agenda already packed with interpellations and proposed amendments.
The post HOLD YOUR HORSES appeared first on Journal News Online.
