Santiago orders dela Paz's arrest
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/23/2008 10:38 AM
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Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday ordered the arrest of retired Philippine Natioanal Police (PNP) comptroller Eliseo dela Paz for failing to attend the Senate's first day of investigation into the "cash advance" he brought to Russia.
After learning that dela Paz was a no-show at the investigation, Santiago ordered his arrest in front of PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
The senator verbally ordered retired general Jose Balajadia, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, to arrest and bring dela Paz before the Committee on Foreign Relations.
"General Balajadia, I command you to arrest him (dela Paz) now and bring him here if possible," Santiago said.
Dela Paz's lawyer, Noel Malaya, told Santiago that his client decided not to attend the hearing because he has a pending motion before a local court to quash the Senate proceedings, which was denied by the committee before the start of the hearing.
Santiago shooed away Malaya after hearing the reason, saying that he had no right to represent dela Paz in the hearings. She explained that lawyers are only supposed to "advise" their clients during the proceedings.
The senator also scored dela Paz's earlier statements that he is ready to face investigation. She hinted that if dela Paz was innocent, the retired police official should have attended the Senate hearing.
Dela Paz was held while about to board a plane bound for Manila at the Moscow international airport after being caught with 105,000 euros (nearly P7 million).
The retired police official, backed up by the PNP, said the money was part of the cash advance he made for the eight-man police delegation to the 77th International Police Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia.
