Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Monday showed up before the Court of Appeals to express her support to the bid of six provincial officials to be released from detention at the House of Representatives.
Interviewed prior to the hearing on the habeas corpus petition filed by the employees, Marcos, daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, said that the continued detention of their employees violates the law.
“There is obvious politics behind this. Let us not use Congress and most of all our small employees for political agenda,” she said.
The CA issued a writ of habeas corpus in hearing last Friday requiring House sergeant-at-arms Roland Detabali to present before the court the six petitioners who have been detained since May 29 after being cited in contempt by the House committee on good government and public accountability during its probe into the alleged misuse of P66.45 million in tobacco funds to buy motor vehicles.
The appellate court also issued a show cause order on Detabali on why he should not be cited for contempt for failure to comply with the court order.
During the hearing on Monday, Detabali again failed to appear before the CA and present the six officials – Pedro Agcaoili, Provincial Planning and Development Office chairperson; Josephine Calajate, provincial treasurer; Eden Battulayan, Provincial Treasurer’s Office staff; Encarnacion Gaor, Provincial Treasurer’s Office staff; Genedine Jambaro, Provincial Treasurer’s Office staff; and Evangeline Tabulog, provincial budget officer.
Lawyers of the six provincial officials led by Estelito Mendoza questioned before the CA the detention, which they said was baseless because the petitioners answered questions of lawmakers during the hearing.
During the hearing, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative and Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas presented documents bearing the signatures of the said officials that were used to buy mini-cabs, secondhand buses, and Foton trucks.
The six Ilocos Norte officials all claimed that they cannot remember the purchases anymore given the many transactions they have processed and also refused to comment on the documents and asked the committee to show them the original copies.
Fariñas said there is a “clear conspiracy” to cover up the alleged misuse of tobacco funds in Ilocos Norte.
Fariñas, political rivals of the Marcoses, initiated the House investigation after obtaining checks for cash advances amounting to P66,450,000 in tobacco funds that were used by the Ilocos Norte provincial government to buy motor vehicles.