Manila, Feb. 11 – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, a former RTC judge, said that when Congress begins session this July, she will file a resolution for the Senate to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on what she called “brazen false claims” made by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile in his voluminous memoir formally launched last year, reported the Philippine Senate web site.
Santiago issued the statement after YahooNews published last Friday a news headlined “Senate Candidate Ramon Montano: Enrile Lying in His Book,”
During an interview, Montano reportedly said of Enrile’s book: {I didn’t finish} reading it because it is full of lies.”
The news item went on: “Montano, who went with Enrile to break away from the chain of command during the crucial years of martial law, said the Senate President make up the details of the supposed ambush in his book.”
In his memoir, Enrile claimed that he was ambushed while going home to Dasmarina Village, in 1972, thus laying the basis for the proclamation of Martial Law. After the end of martial law and under the administration of President Corazon Aquino, Montano was appointed Philippine national Police chief. He headed a team tasked to probe the alleged ambush. The team issued a report that the ambush was faked.
“This is one of the major variance from history.” Montano reportedly said.
In the same interview, Montano claimed that that Enrile merely pretended to support Pres. Cory in the 1986 snap election. But Montano added that after Pres. Cory won, Enrile revealed his true colours by insisting that Pres. Cory should not be installed as president, but instead should be replaced by a military junta lead by Enrile himself.
Enrile reportedly backed down, when the military pointed out that the Filipino public would reject Enrile, because Pres. Cory has already been declared the winner.
Santiago who has always insisted for many years that Enrile faked his own ambush, said that Enrile may have committed any of the several crimes punishable by the Penal Code, such as unlawful use of means of publication, falsification by public officer of a document or falsification by private individual.
The crime of falsification of document by public officer is committed by causing it to appear that persons have participated in any act or proceeding when they did not in fact so participate; or by making untruthful statements or narration of facts.
The crime of falsification by private individual is committed by any person, to the damage of a third party, shall in any private document commit acts of falsification.
“Whatever the crime is, the basic rule is that the accused shall have violated public faith and destroyed the truth, as decided by the Supreme court in 1985 case of Gamido, and the separate case of Sabiano.
“The Enrile book caused a scandal because his claim have no relation with political reality, But the scandal will be finally settled when Gen. Montano appears in a senate hearing. He has already told me that regardless of the Senate campaign results, he is willing to testify in a public hearing and affirm his statements against Enrile, The rule of evidence may apply to Enrile: false in one thing, false in all things. Fasus in uno, fasus in omnibus“ she said.