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By Anthony Vargas, Reporter
ARMED Forces chief General
Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has found a way of avoiding a confrontation
with Senator-elect Antonio Trillanes IV, who is raring to grill him
at a Senate hearing in connection with the “Hello, Garci”
controversy, election fraud, extrajudicial killings, among other
issues.
Esperon said on Tuesday that he
could use Malacañang’s controversial gag order, Executive Order (EO)
464, to avoid Senate hearings.
Issued by Malacañang two years
ago, EO 464 prohibits Cabinet secretaries and military and police
officials from appearing in legislative hearings without prior
permission from the Palace.
“I said EO 464 is still in
effect and I’ll just have to follow the provisions of that . . .
there are rules that we have to follow,” Esperon said during a
weekly police forum at Camp Crame on Tuesday.
“It should be done through
official communication to the executive department because that’s
how it works. After all I have a chain of command to respect,”
Esperon said.
The Supreme Court has ruled that
Malacañang could invoke “executive privilege” for Cabinet
officials and the chief of the military and police, but not for
low-ranking officers.
“We simply have to follow the
rule of law, the procedures because they are all there. Otherwise,
if we don’t do that, then who else would follow rules and
regulations?” Esperon asked.
Trillanes, a former Navy officer
charged with coup d’état who was elected to the Senate, has
expressed his desire to reopen the investigation of the military’s
alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings and the “Hello,
Garci” controversy.
Esperon is among the four senior
military officials whose names were mentioned in the wiretapping
scandal that alleged massive cheating during the May 2004 election.
Reports on Monday said that two
military generals are willing to provide Trillanes with evidence
once his plan of reopening the “Hello, Graci” probe pushes
through.
Esperon said he has no idea who
these generals are. He said he would appear in any investigation if
he were allowed to do so.
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