Senate President Vicente Sotto III, reacting to Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s statement, said the conduct of Senate inquiries in aid of legislation could not be stopped anywhere in the world.
“That won’t be possible,” Sotto said, replying to a question, saying in the affirmative that would mean clipping the powers of Congress.
The Senate leader was reacting to the statement of Arroyo that she did not like inquiries in aid of legislation.
According to Sotto, this was part of the Senate work, adding the Senate, contrary to the perspective of the House of Representatives, “works by the committee or works through the committees.”
He emphasized the work of the plenary was merely ministerial and the work of the plenary was more important.
In the committee, he said the hearings could be the inquiries.
He said: “It can be mere hearings of the contents of the different bills… our elbow room on this is flexible.”