‘Netrual body” like Senate should investigate bribery — Solon

Senate of the Philippines. Photo courtesy of issue.ph.

MANILA — A lawmaker on Thursday said that the House of Representatives is not the right body to investigate the bribery allegations thrown against it.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexi Nograles said that the issue on some lawmakers who allegedly received bribes from Chinese fugitive Wang Bo to support the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), should not be investigated in the House of Representatives.

On earlier reports, Wang was allegedly used to raise funds for the Liberal Party and to pay the lawmakers in return for their support on the BBL.

Nograles, however said that he don’t believe that any of the allegations happened.

He added that a more “neutral body” like the Senate should conduct the probe on the issue.

“I don’t believe the bribery happened but, nonetheless, a neutral and more independent panel like the Senate should conduct the probe,” Nograles said as quoted in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

“Being a coequal body in the same branch of government, the Senate must be the one to continue the congressional inquiry into the reported acts of bribery committed by Wang Bo so as to ferret out the truth as soon as possible,” he added.

Though he believes in the integrity of the House of Representatives, Nograles said that it is not the proper body as it is the subject of the investigation.

“I have no doubt about the integrity of the House and the good intentions of the representatives pushing for this probe… But I think the House is not the proper venue considering it is the subject of investigation. How can the subject of investigation be the investigator itself?” he said in the same report.

“I suggest the Senate invite the witnesses and speak to them in executive session. Maybe then we can really get to the bottom of this,” he added.