House grants ex-mayor Tumang temporary freedom for Christmas

Former Pampanga town mayor Teddy Tumang. (Photo from Municipality of Mexico Pampanga/FACEBOOK)

MANILA, Philippines — Former Pampanga town mayor Teddy Tumang, who was previously ordered detained inside the House premises, has been allowed to return home for Christmas as a humanitarian consideration temporarily.

At the House committee hearing on dangerous drugs on Wednesday, Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. motioned to allow Tumang to go home and return only when Congress resumes its session.

Congress would adjourn from December 16, 2023, to January 21, 2024, for the holiday season break.

Gonzales said that he hopes Tumang can be allowed the temporary release so that he can also celebrate the holidays with his family and address health issues that he has faced, especially since his co-detainee contracted COVID-19.

“Mr. Chair kasi, si formerly mayor Tumang, parang na-ano siya, na-COVID yata ‘yong kasama niya.  So sabi ko nga I visited him, two nights ago, medyo isolated so parang may health problem pa, that’s why I’ve been thinking because we are celebrating — lahat ng tao sa mundo, eh nasa holiday season tayo — kaya po ako eh Mr. Chairman lumalapit sa inyo bilang Kristyano, to personally make a motion na pansamantalang makauwi muna si formerly Mayor Teddy Tumang,” he said.

(Mr. Chair, former mayor Tumang is worried because his co-detainee contracted COVID-19.  So I visited him two nights ago; he was isolated and he also has a lingering health problem. That’s why I’ve been thinking; we are celebrating and everyone in the world is celebrating the holiday season. That’s why, Mr. Chairman, I am appealing as a Christian to personally make a motion that Tumang be allowed to go home temporarily.)

“Para makasama ang kanyang pamilya at makapag-celebrate ng Pasko at New Year itong darating na taon.  Siguro, in 2024, we can resolve everything we are tackling now. That’s why I am moving for his temporary [release],” he added.

(He would be with his family during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.  Maybe in 2024, we can resolve everything we are tackling now. That’s why I am moving for his temporary release.)

Tumang was cited for contempt and was ordered detained for 30 days at the House facility last November 15, after he leaked details supposedly mentioned during an executive hearing.

It was Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop who moved to cite Tumang for contempt after the former mayor talked to reporters about Gonzales’ supposed remarks against him made in a closed-door meeting regarding the two drug busts conducted in Pampanga last August and September.

In the video uploaded on Facebook, Tumang said Gonzales was supposedly asking National Bureau of Investigation agents if the former mayor was really involved in the drug issue.

Tumang then asked lawmakers not to drag him into the issue and keep politics aside.

Tumang was dragged into the drug controversy after it was revealed that a drug warehouse, said to be owned by a certain Willy Ong of Empire 999 Realty Corporation, might have been built on land once owned by the former mayor’s brother.

Over 500 kilograms of shabu were seized in a controlled delivery operation last September 27, which led the law enforcement groups and the Bureau of Customs from the Port of Subic to the warehouse in Pampanga.

The value of the illegal substance was said to be over P3.6 billion.

Tumang, however, denied knowing about the drug operations and having involvement in the illegal activities.

READ: Land where Pampanga ‘shabu’ warehouse stood was owned by ex-mayor’s bro