Aral aral din ‘pag may time: Tito Sotto called out for ‘accused’ tag for Pharmally execs

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is drawing flak for saying executives of Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation are “accused” even if they haven’t been charged with any crime.

Sotto first mentioned the word, “accused” on September 30 when he expressed frustration about the reluctance of Pharmally executive Linconn Ong to attend the Senate blue ribbon committee’s hearing on the P10 billion worth of government contracts won by the company.

Ong, who is currently detained at the Senate building over his supposed refusal to cooperate with senators, initially said he won’t attend the hearing but eventually showed up.

“I am the longest serving senator in this Congress. I have attended many hearings of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee. In all these hearings, there is one common denominator: the accused always tries to play the victim!” Sotto tweeted.

In an October 2 tweet, Sotto added: “The word ACCUSED is used even in the legislature when one is accused of wrongdoing! Aral aral!!!”

But abogado Trixie Cruz Angeles disputed Sotto’s view, saying one only becomes accused in court.

“Again, in law, you only call someone ‘accused’ when he has been indicted and standing trial for a felony, before a criminal court with competent jurisdiction. The Senate is not a criminal court,” she said on her Facebook page with fellow abogado, Ahmed Paglinawan.

In another post, Cruz Angeles reminded Sotto that Ong and other Pharmally executives are being questioned as part of an investigation in aid of legislation.

“By the way, kahit po sa piskalya, kahit nahuli na in the act yung suspect hindi pa rin akusado ang tawag sa kanya. Aralaral at COMMON SENSE,” she said.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)