‘Silence not an option’ — Pimentel 11/22/2010

‘Silence not an option’ — Pimentel

11/22/2010

Lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III yesterday said he is determined to pursue his 2007 electoral protest against Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and will not be cowed into silence by an adverse ruling of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

In his reply to the Nov. 4, 2010 resolution of the SET asking him to explain why he should not be punished for contempt, Pimentel, in a statement, said he did not commit a rebellious act when he asked three SET members, namely, Senators Edgardo Angara, Loren Legarda and Manuel “Lito” Lapid, to inhibit themselves from the deliberations of the body to avoid any impression that their political bias could influence their decision on his election protest.

According to him, there was nothing in the records of the case or outside of it that would show that he was pitting public opinion against the SET or that he had adopted a belligerent and provocative stance in making a mockery of the proceedings.

Pimentel disputed the assertion of the SET majority of six that his “actions speak of anarchy and (of) a gross as well as condemnable disrespect of the rule of law.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20101122hed4.html