House panel summons Imee Marcos to tobacco funds probe
Gov. Imee Marcos, the eldest daughter of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, talks to reporters as she joins supporters in marching towards the Supreme Court for an overnight vigil Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 for the possible ruling on whether Marcos will be buried or not at the Heroes Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine Supreme Court has set for Nov. 8 its decision after two postponements. AP/Bullit Marquez
MANILA, Philippines —The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on Monday issued a subpoena against Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos for skipping two hearings into the alleged anomalous use of tobacco excise funds.
On its third hearing on Monday, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas moved to issue a subpoena against Gov. Marcos and ordered her to attend the House panel’s probe. The motion was made after panel chair Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel said that under House rules, it has the authority to issue summonses to resource persons who are absent.
The committee approved the motion unanimously.
At the hearing on Monday morning, a member of Ilocos Norte’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Vicente Lazo, said he brought with him a letter from the governor. However, he was not allowed to submit the letter since he said he was both a resource person for Marcos and legal counsel for other resource persons.
Marcos was repeatedly invited to attend the probe to answer her alleged misuse of P66.5 million in tobacco excise funds intended to help farmers.
The probe, which Fariñas called for, seeks to look into the use by the provincial government of Ilocos Norte of its shares from the excise taxes on locally manufactured Virginia-type cigarettes or the Special Support Fund under Republic Act 7171 for a purpose other than those provided for by the said law.
The local government of Ilocos allegedly made "highly irregular purchase of motor vehicles through cash advances without the benefit of public biddings for the total amount of P66,450,000.00."
During the second hearing, Marcos, through her aides, said she was on sick leave. She also asked the House panel to inform her of proposed amendments to RA 7171, which gives tobacco-producing provinces a share of excise taxes from tobacco.
She said if the intention of the probe was to amend the law, the inquiry should not just focus on her province alone
The last two hearings were on last May 2 and 16.
Fariñas and the Marcoses used to be political allies, but cut ties in 2015.
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