LAOAG CITY”•Some 180 members of the House of Representatives have signed a draft resolution asking the Supreme Court to disbar three justices of the Court of Appeals’ Special Fourth Division for “ignorance of the law and abuse of authority” after they ordered the release of six Ilocos Norte government officials accused of corruption.
But Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos on Sunday appealed to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and other House leaders to allow the release of the “Ilocos Six” on her own recognizance for humanitarian reasons.
She made her plea after the House leadership thrice defied the attempts of the Court of Appeals to gain the release of the six employees who were detained by the committee inquiring into the provincial government’s purchase of motor vehicles worth P66.45 million and sourced from Ilocos Norte’s tobacco excise taxes.
‘‘I urge Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to allow the release of the six employees of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte on my own recognizance,” Marcos said.
“Since the Ilocos Six are also my constituents, I am making this appeal to the House leadership to release them for humanitarian reasons.”
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said his panel would conduct an emergency hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, to give the “Ilocos Six” an opportunity to explain and regain their freedom.
He said the Ilocos Six”•Ilocos Norte treasurer
Josephine Calajate, accountant Edna Batulayan, budget officer Evangeline Tabulog, bids and awards committee head Pedro Agcaoili, and Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor of the provincial treasurer’s office”•should prove they did not misuse the P66.45 million.
The Ilocos Norte officials have been detained since May 29 at the House of Representatives for contempt for evading to cooperate in the congressional inquiry.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas said the order of Associate Justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonino-Valenzuela granting the habeas corpus petition of the Ilocos Six ran against Congress’ contempt powers.
“[We will file soon] a House resolution initiating a complaint before the Supreme Court for disbarment and/or administrative disciplinary action against the three justices of the Court of Appeals for ignorance of the law and abuse of authority,” Fariñas said.
“Look what the CA justices did. They did not only grant habeas corpus without notice to the House and without an opportunity given to the House to [explain]. Worse, [The CA also] allowed them to impose P30,000 bail despite the contempt powers of Congress.”
Apart from Alvarez and Fariñas, those who signed the resolution included the members of the minority led by House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, committee chairmen and ranking members of the House belonging to the super majority coalition.
Fariñas said the House committee on good government and public accountability will hold an emergency hearing on Tuesday to give the six detained officials of Ilocos Norte “one last chance” to redeem themselves.
He said they would continue to hold the officials in detention “until they stop their contemptuous act of giving evasive answers.”
PDP-Laban Rep. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, the panel chairman, said “We will set them free right away once they decide to tell the truth about the anomaly. We are really hoping they will change their minds by Tuesday, both for their sake and for the sake of public interest.’’
“They’ve actually refused to be served notices, so we may have to bodily carry them to the [third] hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.”
Alvarez said one of the CA’s Fourth Division members, Justice Valenzuela, should have inhibited herself from the proceedings for delicadeza because her husband was a former associate in the law office of Estelito Mendoza, the lawyer of the so-called Ilocos Six.
He said the Court of Appeals was not even a co-equal branch of Congress. With Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja