ILOCOS Norte Gov. Imee Marcos has urged the House of Representatives to comply with the order of the Court of Appeals for the immediate release of the so-called “Ilocos Six” as she reiterated her willingness to cooperate with the House probe on the province’s use of its tobacco excise tax share.
Marcos also maintained that all the transactions surrounding the purchase of motor vehicles in question were above board as cleared by the Commission on Audit and all the units bought could be seen by anyone who would wish to visit her province, debunking allegations that these were “ghost purchases.”
Marcos said the continued detention of the provincial employees for over a month now had brought “immeasurable emotional and psychological anguish to them and their families.”
“I appeal, for humanitarian reasons, to the House leadership to set free the Ilocos Six. They have suffered more than enough. Please allow them to go home. You have families too, and you know the pain of being separated from them,” Marcos said, in a statement issued through her lawyer, former solicitor general Estelito Mendoza.
“They have already testified to the best of their knowledge. Forcing them, through prolonged detention, to give false testimony just to satisfy the Committee is tantamount to compelling them to commit perjury. Please, set them free,” Marcos said.
The six employees—Josephine Calajate, Encarnacion Gaor, Genedine Jambaro, Evangeline Tabulog, Pedro Agcaoili Jr. and Eden Battulayan—were cited in contempt by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability during its probe into the local government’s purchase of motor vehicles amounting to P66.45 million, the funding of which was sourced from its share of tobacco excise taxes.
The CA has issued three orders to the House of Representatives for the writ of habeas corpus as well as the temporary release of the Ilocos Six detainees, but these were all ignored.
On June 1, the appellate court issued a resolution requiring Congress to file its comment on the petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed by the detainees.
A day after, the court issued a writ of habeas corpus and ordered House of Representatives Sgt.-At-Arms retired Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali to produce the employees.
On June 9, the CA issued another resolution granting the petitioners’ request for provisional release provided they post bail at P30,000 each.
The employees have already asked the CA to resolve their habeas corpus case immediately and declare their continued detention as illegal and a form of torture.
Marcos said she welcomed the congressional probe as an opportunity to amend Republic Act No. 7171 which seeks to promote the development of farmers in Virginia-tobacco producing provinces.
According to her, the inquiry would also afford her the chance to clear the air on all transactions involving the use of tobacco funds by the Ilocos Norte provincial government and by all other beneficiary provinces, especially those whom the Commission on Audit had found cause to issue adverse findings and disallowances.
“I welcome the inquiry on specific transactions of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte mentioned in the resolution, confident in the truth that the specific transactions being condemned as irregular in the resolution have not been found to be irregular in both pre- and post-audit reports of the Commission on Audit, and the funds used have been used for the direct benefit of the intended beneficiaries,” she said.
“The transactions being questioned complied with the procurement law and the conditions for lawful cash advances have been fully complied with. The supposed Audit Observation Memorandum drafted by the CoA on one transaction was not issued officially. It is proof that the CoA itself found its issuance without basis consistent with its final audit findings,” Marcos added.
Marcos insisted that the vehicles purchased were not overpriced.
“Are the mini-trucks overpriced? The testimony of the Foton official in the hearing confirms that Foton multicabs are priced much higher than the mini-trucks purchased. Are the vehicles missing? They are all accounted for and are being used by the beneficiaries,” she stressed.
She said the provincial government was prepared to take the issue to court if the House committee continued to reject their explanations, adding that “political vendetta” had led to this impasse between Congress and the judiciary.
“Political vendetta cannot justify putting the legislature and the judiciary on a collision course at the expense of the rights of hapless citizens. I appeal for sobriety, civility and respect for the inviolability of the rights of citizens hand in hand with respect for the separation of powers of the co-equal branches of government,” she said.
“I pray that the House of Representatives, in which I spent nine years as a legislator, would rise above petty local political conflicts and keep being true to its mandate to pass responsive laws for the welfare of our countrymen,” Marcos added.
The six Ilocos Norte employees earlier asked the Court of Appeals to resolve their habeas corpus case immediately and declare their continued detention as illegal and a form of torture.
In a motion filed on June 23 before the CA’s Special Fourth Division, the so-called “Ilocos Six” employees of Ilocos Norte argued that it was crucial for the protection of their constitutional rights for the case to be speedily resolved.