Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines
THE Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges has dismissed four out of nine pending complaints, declaring them “frivolous” after weeks of careful review, committee chairperson Senator JV Ejercito announced on Monday.
Among those thrown out was the complaint filed against Ejercito himself, which accused him of neglecting his duties as head of the panel. The decision brings initial resolution to a batch of cases that have drawn public attention, while other matters remain pending for further evaluation.
In a media interview, Ejercito explained that the committee thoroughly examined each complaint before arriving at its conclusion.
“Four complaints were dismissed, considered frivolous. The committee reviewed it for several weeks then dismissed it today,” he said. To ensure impartiality in his own case, Ejercito recused himself from the proceedings, with Senator Kiko Pangilinan temporarily taking over the hearing. According to Ejercito, the members voted to dismiss the complaint against him after noting that the committee had already been acting on its mandate and fulfilling its responsibilities.
While confirming that the other three dismissed cases were also filed against fellow senators, Ejercito declined to reveal their identities, saying such details should remain confidential to prevent unnecessary public speculation and unrest. He also clarified that the dismissal does not permanently bar the concerned parties from pursuing their grievances.
“Most are not compliant in form and substance, so the complainants have the option to refile this time according to form and substance,” he advised, emphasizing the need for proper documentation and adherence to procedural requirements.
As for the remaining five complaints, the lawmaker reported that action on three has been deferred to allow for further study, as relevant responses from concerned parties were only received on the same day.
Two other cases, meanwhile, are still awaiting inputs and data from government agencies to help the committee make informed decisions. Ejercito added that these deferred complaints are expected to be taken up again as early as next week, once all necessary materials have been gathered and assessed.
