Trampling on the congressional power of oversight

BECAUSE of the surfeit of Senate inquries, arising from the great number of hearings conducted by Senators Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes and Alan Peter Cayetrano in their effort to take down the candidacy for president of Vice-president Jejomar Binay, we in the Manila Times have taken the view that we should only encourage and support a congressional inquiry if it pertains to a matter of urgent public interest and far-reaching national importance. We will look askance at inquiries called out of personal pique or for clearly personal reasons.

Among current public issues, there is perhaps none more worthy of congressional inquiry than the state of rehabilitation and recovery in the areas struck hard by Supertyphon Yolanda/Haiyan in November 2013.