Bongbong tells Imee not to attend probe

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (Photo from her Facebook page)

LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Friday said her brother, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., had advised her not to attend the House inquiry into the province’s P66.45-million tobacco fund expenditures.

“I really want to attend. I want to explain myself in Congress but others said I should not. Bongbong told me I could also be detained,” said Imee at her first news conference after six provincial employees, now called the “Ilocos Six,” were cited in contempt and detained by the House committee on good government and public accountability on May 29.

Planning officer Pedro Agcaoili, provincial budget officer Evangeline Tabulog, provincial treasurer Josephine Calajate and treasury office staff members Eden Battulayan, Encarnacion Gaor and Genedine Jambaro were held  for allegedly refusing to answer questions about the alleged anomalous purchase of vehicles using the province’s tobacco tax funds.

Imee said her mother, former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, was rebuffed by the committee when she requested for the release of the six  employees.

The investigation was initiated by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, perceived as political rival of the Marcoses.

Insisting that the purchase of vehicles serving tobacco farming communities was above board, Imee said the vehicles were requested by different provincial leaders, among them were Rudy Caesar Fariñas, who served as ex-officio member of the Ilocos Norte provincial board, and Mary Michelle “Mikee” Fariñas, president of the Laoag federation of barangay councils.

Rudy is Fariñas’ son, while Mary Michelle is his grandchild, being the daughter of Laoag Mayor Chevylle Fariñas and his nephew, Vice Mayor Michael Fariñas.

Imee said the vehicles were not overpriced and were bought through proper bidding procedures, and were “therefore not ghost projects nor missing funds.”

“It was a special fund. [The purchases] underwent pre-audit and post-audit by the Commission on Audit. There was no audit observation memo [after the transaction]. There was no adverse findings in the annual report of COA, unlike other provinces,” she said.

Asked why the vehicles were not registered, Imee said the new vehicles served as agricultural equipment like tractors. But she promised to register them should the Land Transportation Office (LTO) required the provincial government.

Dirty politics, Imee  said, has used Congress to target “a small province like Ilocos Norte and its employees.”

Describing Congress as a bully, she said in Filipino: “We will not allow it. We will seek justice using the legal and right procedure and will not submit to the bullying by Congress.”