Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago accused Pres. Ramos of planning a coup d’etat against Pres. Estrada.

Santiago made the charge, after Ramos told a group of Makati businessmen Thursday: "Let’s give him six months," referring to Pres. Estrada.

"After the six months is up, what do Ramos and his cronies plan to do? Stage a coup d’etat?, she asked.

Ramos made the questioned statement during a meeting Thursday of the Phil. Marketing Association of the Phil. (PMAC) at Dusit Hotel, which was flashed on television.

Santiago also attacked the Makati businessmen, who reportedly praised Ramos after his speech dealing with the national economy.

"The Ramos sycophants in the business community are hoping for a Ramos comeback, because they are no longer big players under the Estrada administration," she said.

Santiago said that the Ramos cronies resent the rise to power of known Estrada and Marcos backers, such as Eduardo Cojuangco, Lucio Tan, Roberto Benedicto, Enrique Razon, Jose Yao Campos, and Rebecco Panlilio.

"The ‘outs’ are hurting and the ‘ins’ are trying to make hay while the sun shines," she said.

Santiago said that Ramos and the generals who served in his administration are allegedly "meeting regularly" to assess the military situation.

"The Ramos generals hope to exploit the recent differences between Defense Sec. Mercado and certain generals in active duty," she said.

Santiago identified the Ramos generals as including Jose Almonte, Arnulfo Acedera, Jr., Mariano Clemente, Alexander Aguirre, Montano

"Ramos is using the economic recession as an issue in his initial bid to grab power back for himself and his cronies," she said.

Santiago said Ramos criticisms of economic management under the Estrada regime are intended to pave the way for removing Estrada, on the ground of his alleged incompetence.

"Ramos is propagandizing himself as indispensable to the economic welfare of our country. That’s his psywar ploy," she said.

She said that among the Ramos cronies are some members of the so-called Council of Trent during the Aquino administration, and the business foes of Eduardo Cojuangco, such as Andres Soriano III who recently resigned from San Miguel Corp.

Santiago was the petitioner in the Supreme Court case of Santiago v. Comelec, which prevented Ramos from seeking a second term.

Santiago said that Congress has been guilty of inaction for the past 11 years, counting from the time the Constitution was promulgated in 1988.

She quoted an article from the Far Eastern Economic Review dated 27 August 1998 which listed members of the House of Representatives who are children of political families.

Those listed are Rep. Benigno Aquino III, Maria Imelda Marcos, Alfred Cojuangco, Carlos Cojuangco, Ranjit Shahani, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jr., Robert Ace Barbers, Allen Cayetano, Neptali Gonzales II, and Rodolfo Albano III.

Santiago said that the representatives listed by the magazine are not exclusive, because there are local government officials who are also children of incumbent politicians.

She said that Black’s Law Dictionary defines "dynasty" as "a succession of rules in the same line or family. Powerful and influential group or family which continues in existence for a considerable time."

Santiago said that the Record of the Constitutional Commission shows that the purpose of the constitutional prohibition is to develop a new political culture to provide access to poor candidates who otherwise would have no chance of winning against a candidate who comes from a rich and politically powerful family already represented by an incumbent public official in the same electoral locality.

"We should no longer drag our feet in the Congress, because the Constitution makes it the duty of Congress to define the term ‘political dynasties,’" she said.

"It’s high time to investigate the investigators," she said.

This developed as Santiago filed a resolution calling for a Senate probe of alleged corruption in anti-corruption agencies.

Santiago was reacting to Pres. Estrada’s removal of Felix de Guzman as PCGG chair.

"De Guzman’s removal should only be the start of an entire cleansing process among graftbusting agencies which are themselves guilty of corruption," she said.

Santiago, who received Asia’s Nobel Prize known as the Magsaysay Award for her graftbusting work as immigration commissioner, said that "the entire structure of graftbusting is itself riddled with corruption."

She said she supports the pending Senate bill to abolish the PCGG because allegedly "it has proved to be as corrupt as the agencies and individuals it supervises."

Santiago said that in a number of cases, the Sandiganbayan or anti-graft court headed by Presiding Justice Francis Garchitorena, may have violated the constitutional provision for speedy disposition of judicial cases, and is thus liable because "justice delayed is justice denied."

"Moreover, the Sandiganbayan may have violated the Constitution by impairing the right to travel of accused persons although there is no basis in national security, public safety, or public health," she said.

Santiago also said that the offices of Ombudsman Aniano Desierto and the deputy ombudsmen for Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the military have all been charged at different times by civic groups with abuse of power and corruption.

"The office of the Ombudsman has never answered the question of who watches the watchdog. There are indications that some people in the Ombudsman’s office are just as corrupt as the people they are investigating or harassing," she said.

Santiago singled out the Office of the Special Prosecutor headed by Atty. Leonardo P. Tamayo, as "corruption-prone."

"The Office of the Special Prosecutor is just like the office of any fiscal. Sometimes they operate as fixcals," she said, referring to bribery.

Santiago said the Sandigan justices fall under the administrative supervision of the Supreme Court, and any complaint should be filed with the Supreme Court which has power to remove them.

She said if a Senate investigation produces evidence of wrongdoing, impeachment proceedings could be initiated in the Congress against the ombudsman and any of his deputies.

Santiago filed a written motion with Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. seeking a closed-door executive session for the interrogation of witness Joseph Ocol, on the ground that the hearing "might endanger national security."

"There is an imperative need to prevent the witnesses from diverting public attention away from the corruption in Expo Filipino," she said.

Santiago was referring to charges made by Joseph Ocol October 27 that Sen. Anna Dominique Coseteng knew and approved of the alleged extortion made on Ocol by Coseteng’s aide, Potenciano Roque.

"If what Ocol says is true, then why did he not immediately file a complaint against Sen. Coseteng and Roque last September? Why did he bring up the alleged extortion only more than a month later?" said Santiago, a former RTC judge.

Ocol testified at a hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he allegedly gave P150,000 to Roque last September 14.

"The witness is engaging in squid tactics, trying to smear his accuser so that he can divert public attention away from his principals, namely Pres. Ramos, Vice Pres. Laurel, and leading officials of the Clark Development Corporation," she said.

Santiago cited the Senate "Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid of Legislation."

Under Sec. 11 the Blue Ribbon Committee, on motion of any interested party, may conduct its inquiry in executive session where attendance shall be limited only to senators and committee staff.

Santiago invoked the Rules of the Senate, Rule 39 on "Question of Privilege," Section 106 stating: "Questions of privilege are those affecting the rights, privileges, reputation, conduct, decorum and dignity of the Senate or of its Members as well as the integrity of its proceedings."

"When a witness in a Senate investigation makes a serious charge of extortion against a senator, the charge involves not only the individual senator, but also the dignity of the Senate as a whole and the integrity of its proceedings," she said.