A probe into claims that officials in Philippine President Joseph Estrada's corruption trial are being spied upon will be held behind closed doors so as not to compromise national security, officials said Wednesday.
A Senate tribunal conducting Estrada's trial is carrying out a parallel probe to shed light on allegations that the government was spying on members of Congress serving as judges or prosecutors in the case.
Senators agreed Wednesday to reconvene in a closed executive session after a special anti-crime task force invoked national security to avoid publicly answering questions on the capability of their surveillance equipment.
The tribunal's presiding officer, Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide upheld the task force member's requests that any details be disclosed only behind closed doors.
Two members of the task force, logistics officer Chief Inspector Nilo Pagtalunan and technical division chief Lieutenant Colonel Dioscoro Reyes, repeatedly said they could not reveal details of their equipment because these were classified.
Even such matters as the price of the equipment was considered secret, prompting some senators to express irritation with the law-enforcers.
"I do not believe you are telling us the truth here," Senate President Aquilino Pimentel told Pagtalunan,
"They are indeed witholding information from us," said Senator Franklin Drilon, adding that "I intend to make objection to the invocation of national security" to avoid disclosing the information.
He said he would later reveal some of the information disclosed in the closed executive session in the interests of "transparency."
The special hearing was held following allegations that judges, prosecutors and even reporters in the trial were being spied upon by government agents to check the prospects for Estrada's conviction.
Estrada has already been impeached by the House of Representatives for allegedly receiving money from illegal gambling bosses, skimming off government funds and protecting friends from government regulators.
If convicted in the Senate, he will be forced to step down -- MANILA (AFP)
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