ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA: Martin, Chiz, 31 others under BI lookout order ICI summons Romualdez, Co
DOJ issues lookout order vs Romualdez, Escudero, Estrada, 30 others | INQToday
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The DOJ issued the order hours after it was requested by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which is investigating the corruption issue.
“The ILBO for all officials requested by the ICI has been signed by SOJ,” Assistant Secretary and DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said, referring to outgoing Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla.
The order requires the Bureau of Immigration to closely monitor the travel movements of the subject individuals. However, this does not prevent them from leaving the country as only hold-departure orders mandated by a court can do so.
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The ILBO requires the BI to notify the ICI immediately of any information on the subject individuals’ impending travel.
In a letter to Remulla earlier yesterday, ICI chairman retired justice Andres Reyes Jr. also requested for ILBOs on Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay-Angeles, audit commissioner Mario Lipana and his wife, construction firm executive Marilou Laurio-Lipana, and Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.
The ICI has also requested the DOJ to issue ILBOs on Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James Ang, Quezon City Reps. Patrick Michael Vargas, Marvin Rillo, Marivic Co-Pilar and Juan Carlos Atayde; Agap party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones, Marikina City Rep. Marcelino Teodoro, Bulacan Rep. Florida Robes, Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Laguna Rep. Benjamin Agarao, former An Waray Party-List congressman Florencio Gabriel Noel, Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela, Quezon Rep. Reynante Arogancia, Aklan Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr., former Zamboanga Sibugay congresswoman Antonieta Eudela and Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio.
The ICI is also seeking ILBOs on public works district engineers Loida Busa, Ramon Devanadera and Johnny Protesta Jr., as well as on Carlene Villa, Cosmic Technologies CEO and alleged Escudero bagman Maynard Ngu and a certain “Bogs” Magalong.
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“An initial investigation, with the cooperation of relevant coordinating agencies, on DPWH officials and key officers of certain construction companies allegedly involved in ghost projects and/or substandard implementations of flood control projects, which is a matter under inquiry by the Commission, puts the subjects in a relevant position that operates to make him an inevitable personality during the fact-finding process,” Reyes said in his letter to the DOJ.
“The timely issuance of an ILBO is of utmost necessity to enable the Commission to proceed without delay and to hold those liable accountable to the Filipino people,” he stressed.
“In addition to the issuance of the ILBO, may we further request that the Bureau of Immigration be instructed to immediately inform the Commission and other law enforcement agencies of any information regarding the impending travel of the subjects,” Reyes said.
Romualdez, Co summoned
The ICI also said it has summoned Romualdez and resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co to appear before the fact-finding body on Oct. 14.
Also invited to next week’s meeting to provide “authoritative guidance” on the budget is Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
In its summons delivered yesterday, ICI said it wanted Romualdez to testify about his “familiarity and personal knowledge as speaker of the House relative to the national budget insertions, as well as the DPWH projects.”
Co was issued subpoena duces tecum and ad testificandum, which means the former party-list representative is required to appear not only to disclose his personal knowledge on the insertions and DPWH projects but also to provide relevant documents for the investigation.
These include contracts, receipts and other paperwork for government projects awarded to firms owned by Co or his relatives.
“An invitation is, in a way, a courtesy to an incumbent Congress person, so since Romualdez is an incumbent member, we have issued an invitation,” Brian Keith Hosaka, ICI executive director, said, underscoring the differences in ICI’s treatment of the two.
While “it depends” on Co whether to ignore the subpoena, the ICI is prepared to file a contempt petition before a regional trial court, Hosaka said.
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“With regard to contempt powers, we have to follow proper procedure, which is going to the courts and probably filing a petition for indirect contempt,” Hosaka explained.
Still no ICI livestreaming
He also said the ICI is standing firm on its position against allowing media or public access to its deliberations despite being barraged with criticism from lawmakers, civil society groups and religious organizations. “Right now, the policy stays,” he said.
The ICI, Hosaka insisted, is cautious about divulging damning information that could infringe on the rights of those involved.
“We’re trying to prevent the commission from being weaponized by any individuals,” he said.
“We don’t even know if the statements are true or probably said to confuse the commission and even the public, so we have to be careful,” he added.
Calls for the ICI to livestream the hearings for the sake of transparency have grown louder.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan warned on Wednesday against “underestimating the brewing anger of the public” by disregarding the right to information, while retired associate justice Antonio Carpio said “the people will lose faith” in the commission if the proceedings remain behind closed doors.
Even the Iglesia ni Cristo on Tuesday said the ICI should be “open and witnessed by the public” in order to attain peace.
Newly appointed ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said the body’s investigation on the flood control corruption scandal “should not take long,” considering the public’s frustration. “The transition should be fast so that the people will not feel impatient,” he said.
The new ICI special adviser asks for the public’s cooperation as the commission uncovers the truth behind this scandal. “This is supposed to be a Filipino effort,” he said.
‘Cancel Co’s passport’
Meanwhile, Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco has renewed his request to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for the immediate cancellation of the passport of resigned congressman Co to ensure his return to the country to face charges for corruption.
The ICI has subpoenaed Co to appear before the probe body on Oct. 14.
“The DFA should cancel Zaldy Co’s passport at once to make sure he comes back and faces the administrative and criminal charges that will be filed against him,” Tiangco said in a statement.
He said the DFA must act swiftly to prevent Co from applying for citizenship in another country with no extradition treaty with the Philippines.
“Time is of the essence. He should be returned home immediately and should not be given time to get a passport or citizenship in other country,” he said. “If the DFA will dilly-dally and he managed to get a passport in other country without extradition treaty, will they be accountable?”
He cited a call from former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for the immediate cancellation of Co’s passport.
“I fully support the position of former ombudsman Carpio-Morales. Co must be returned home immediately. Now that he already has a subpoena from the ICI, there is no more reason not to cancel his passport. What we are talking about here is about the huge amount of people’s money,” the Navotas City congressman said.
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At the Commission on Elections, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that aside from Escudero, two other incumbent senators received campaign donations in the 2022 elections from contractors.
“We can confirm that three are incumbents and three others were not as lucky,” Garcia said when asked to confirm an earlier pronouncement that six senators face possible investigation for accepting prohibited campaign donations.
Garcia said the six were among those who accepted donations from the 54 contractors, which the Comelec is still checking with the DPWH if they really have contracts.
According to Garcia, the Comelec cannot release the names of the six senatorial candidates until it has received confirmation from DWPH that their donors were government contractors.
Garcia reiterated that Comelec is not singling out Escudero, and that he was the first to be summoned because he publicly admitted receiving a donation from Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction and Development Corp.
Lubiano’s counsel already submitted a written explanation concerning his donation to Escudero. He insisted that it was given to Escudero in a private capacity.
The Comelec has yet to receive confirmation from Escudero whether he would personally appear before poll investigators on Oct.13. – EJ Macababbad, Jose Rodel Clapano, Mayen Jaymalin, Neil Jayson Servallos
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