Panelo laughs at senators for running in circles: ‘Di pala kayo sure sa trabaho n’yo, nagdebate pa kayo!

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo/photo courtesy of ANC

MANILA - Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo’s stand on Monday’s  senate hearing on the issue on ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.’s franchise renewal.

For Panelo, these senators just “wasted time” discussing on whether their inquiry into the franchise of ABS-CBN Corp violated separation of powers among branches of government.

He believed that there is no irregularity in holding the Senate hearing. He also thinks senators are like headless chickens who don’t know what they’re doing holding a hearing regarding the country’s biggest network franchise renewal.

“You know, I was watching them (senators) because I was guest at the ANC. They spent two hours discussing whether they have authority to do that or not. I cannot even understand … hindi pala kayo sigurado ng trabaho ninyo, eh bakit pinagdedebatehan pa ninyo,” Panelo said during the briefing.

“They wasted time discussing on something that they should have known at the very inception,” he added.

“The very purpose for which they call that committee hearing, mukhang dalawang oras silang nagdi-debate whether do we have authority or not. Eh bakit kayo nandiyan? Dapat ni-resolve ninyo na iyan. Sabi nung isa, ‘Eh 25 years ang sinabi ng Korte Suprema mayroon tayong kapangyarihan …’ Twenty five years na pala eh, bakit hindi ninyo alam. They wasted two hours debating on something that they should have known already,” he added.

Panelo added, the Senate was obviously, as a separate branch of government, was not covered by the sub judice rule which prevents involved parties from discussing the merits of the quo warranto case filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida seeking to void ABS-CBN’s franchise.

“Trabaho nila yun (That’s their job). We will not interfere with their work…But certainly, they are not wasting time discussing the subject matter,” he added.

During the hearing, Senator Poe maintained the Senate’s right to conduct the inquiry on ABS-CBN’s franchise, saying "we need to know the truth and we need the public to hear it.”

“Naninidigan ang Senado sa kapangyarihan nito bilang kapantay na sangay ng gobyerno... Sa isang republika at demokrasya, kailangan natin panatilihin ang balance at separation of powers," Poe said.

Thankfully, Panelo said senators came to their senses and discussed the matter after two hours of pointless debates.