Contempt powers used with discretion, says Chiz

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday clarified that the upper chamber’s contempt powers are being used “sparingly” with “absolute discretion.”

In an interview with reporters at Malacañang, Escudero insisted that senators do not exercise their power to hold individuals in contempt “very lightly.”

“We use it sparingly in the Senate. You have to understand, you only see the orders of contempt that we sign, you don’t see the ones that we did not sign. You no longer see the ones that the warrants of arrest that we did not sign,” Escudero said.

“You’ve only seen the ones issued by the Senate, which require the signature of the Senate President, but you did not see those that we did not issue, nor did the chairman, nor the ones that I did not sign. It is being used with absolute discretion, and is not being used very lightly, and only in cases which are necessary,” he added.

Citing the Arnault ruling of the Supreme Court, Escudero said Congress can exercise its contempt powers without limitation.

“Based on the Arnault ruling of the Supreme Court, there is no limit until he or she is released from contempt,” Escudero explained.

“In the Senate, as you have seen, too, usually we release them on humanitarian grounds. We release them before we go on break or right after we go on break, and because no hearing is being conducted or we don’t expect a hearing soon,” he added.