House committee to subpoena Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos in hearing

June 21, 2017

The House committee on good government and public accountability will issue a subpoena against Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos when it resumes hearing on July 25, a statement from the Lower House said Wednesday. A warrant of arrest will be issued if she will fail to appear in the inquiry on the alleged irregular purchase of motor vehicles worth P66.5 million using her province’s share in the tobacco excise tax collection and without public biddings, the statement added. At the culmination of the fourth hearing on the issue on Tuesday, Rep. Johnny  Pimentel of Surigao del Sur said :“On that day (July 25), we will be issuing a subpoena already to Gov. Imee Marcos and if she (still) does not appear, we will be constrained to issue a warrant of arrest for her.” . Pimentel made the statement after reminding the committee members their next hearing has been set on July 25, a day after the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Duterte and the Opening of the Second Regular Session of the 17th Congress. The committee’s inquiry is being done on the basis of House Resolution 882, authored by Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, seeking an inquiry into the use by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte of its shares from the excise taxes on locally manufactured Virginia-type cigarettes or the Special Support Fund under Republic Act 7171 for a purpose other than those provided for by the law. The resolution stated that the highly irregular purchase of motor vehicles worth P66.5 million was done through cash advances without the benefit of public biddings. The committee earlier cited for contempt and ordered detained at the House premises six officials of the Ilocos Norte provincial government namely, provincial treasurer Josephine Calajate; Encarnacion Gaor and Genedine Jambaro of the Office of the Provincial Treasurer; budget officer Evangeline Tabulog; Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman and Provincial Planning and Development Office head Pedro Agcaoili; and Eden Batulayan, OIC  of the Provincial Accounting Office. DMS