Lawmakers cited in contempt an official from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) over his refusal to cooperate and answer the questions from the mega-panel at the third joint public hearing of the House Quad-Committee on Wednesday, August 28.
The joint committee’s public hearing on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts questioned several personnel linked to the killing of the three Chinese nationals–Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang–in August 2016.
The three Chinese nationals were convicted of drugs charges at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF), before their untimely death.
During the hearing, Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla was evasive with the questions thrown at him about the deaths of the Chinese nationals. Padilla served as the former Officer-in-Charge of the DPPF at the time of the said incident. Following the deaths of the Chinese nationals, two inmates namely; Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Tan Jr. were transferred to the Inmate Custodial Aid (ICA) area.
“Why did you allow the two PDLs to be put in the ICA? Ginawa niyo pang false multiplier,” Abang Lingkod party-list lawmaker Joseph Stephen Paduano asked.
“Sabihin mo pa more than a month, sabihin mo pa three months; but there is a new case filed against them for homicide and they admitted it. Ang tanong ko dito, bakit nilagay niyo sa ICA in your discretion and that your authority?” he added.
His evasiveness in responding to the query resulted in Paduano moving the motion to cite Padilla in contempt. The latter’s contempt citation violated Section 11 Paragraph C of the House rules, or the individual’s refusal or evasive to answer questions without legal excuse.
The motion was approved by the committee with no objections.
Padilla will be detained for 30 days at the Bicutan City Jail, as other detention centers are presently full. However, Padilla may file a motion for reconsideration a day after his detention, Paduano said. He added that it is part of Padilla’s right and that the Committee follows due process.
Padilla is set to retire in November this year.
