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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .

Iligan City lone district Representative Frederick Siao now relies his fate regarding the 90-day suspension ordered by the Sandiganbayan to the office of House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was given five days to respond to the court order to implement the suspension.

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Siao in a press statement said there is no need for any sort of preventive suspension because I am not in any position to cause any tampering or loss of evidence nor pressuring of any personnel of the City Council or of City Hall, because I am not an incumbent member of the City Council of Iligan City.

“Emphasis on the word ‘preventive’ because that is the supposed aim of the suspension order. The purpose of the preventive suspension order is now moot and academic because the prosecution has already presented its evidence and rested its case,” he said.

The Iligan City representative has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension by the Sandiganbayan due to a complaint filed against him over a reported illegal leasing of lands owned by the provincial government.

The complaint of graft against the congressman stemmed from his alleged participation in giving authority to the then city mayor Lawrence Cruz to extend the lease of the involved local government lands. This happened when Siao was still a city councilor.

In 2004, the lease agreement was first entered by the local government but allegedly it did not go through the process of bidding. It was also learned that those owners of the private firms which leased the government lands were related to Cruz’s mother.

Siao said there is no necessity for his preventive suspension since the Sandiganbayan suspension order has no basis.

“Note also that according to the Rules of the House of Representatives, the authority to suspend any Member rests with the entire body and must gain two-thirds vote to be approved,” he added.

He also claimed that according to the House Rules, the House cannot suspend any of its Members for more than sixty days, in contrast to the ninety days suspension the Sandiganbayan has ordered.

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