House readies Imee’s detention room

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has vowed to arrest Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos if she will refuse again to attend the congressional inquiry into the alleged misuse of tobacco funds on July 25.

“If she does not show up, her arrest and detention is as sure as the sun rising tomorrow,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said yesterday.  

“We had the chamber prepared right after she declared that she would dodge our July 25 hearing despite our subpoena and show cause order compelling her to explain satisfactorily why she should not be held in contempt for her brazen defiance,” said Pimentel.

He said Marcos would be “ok in detention, although she might miss certain luxuries.”

Pimentel said his committee would issue the warrant of arrest “as soon as we have ascertained she is not around.” 

“The governor has tried to explain in media interviews where the money went, how it was spent and so on. Why can’t she just...show up at our hearing, hand in the documents that her staff couldn’t produce, recount her remarks under oath and submit herself to proper cross-examination by the committee?” Pimentel asked. 

Pimentel’s committee is investigating the allegations of Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, a political rival of the Marcoses, that motor vehicles were illegally purchased using P66.5 million of the provincial government’s share of tobacco funds. 

Marcos said the purchases were above board, but refused to attend the hearings, saying her lawyers and her brother former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. told her that she might also be detained.

Six Ilocos Norte officials have been detained since May 29 over their alleged evasive answers during the House hearing. 

“You hold the key to your cells,” Fariñas earlier told provincial treasurer Josephine Calajate, budget officer Evangeline Tabulog, engineer Padro Agcaoili of the bids and awards committee, Eden Batulaya from the accounting office and Encarnacion Gaor and Genedine Jambaro of the treasurer’s office. 

Fariñas and Pimentel said the House could detain the officials until June 2019.