Imee Marcos, ‘Ilocos 6’ fail to get SC relief

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos shows a copy of the petition of writ of habeas corpus filed at the Supreme Court to release the Ilocos 6 from continued detention at the House of Representatives at a press briefing in Manila on Thursday, July 13, 2017. The House of Representatives’ Committee on Good Governance is conducting hearings on the 66 million peso purchase of government vehicles using funds for tobacco farmers.
INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Embattled Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and the so-called “Ilocos Six” yesterday failed to secure an immediate reprieve from the Supreme Court on their bid to stop the House of Representatives from continuing its inquiry into the province’s allegedly questionable use of P66.45 million in tobacco excise taxes.

Theodore Te, the tribunal’s spokesperson, said the magistrates on Tuesday agreed to raffle the case again during their weekly full-court session after three justices opted to inhibit from the case.

Te said Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. inhibited themselves from the case.

He said the magistrate designated to lead the handling of Marcos et al.’s writ of amparo petition, whom he declined to identify, also recused himself from the case.

A senior court official said the magisrate in charge was Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, said to be a relative of House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Marcos’ political rival who was among those named respondents in the case.

When asked for the three justices’ reasons for inhibiting from the case, Te told reporters: “They have reasons but they were not stated. Let’s just wait for the resolution.”

Sereno and Reyes, who was the presiding justice of the Court of Appeals before President Rodrigo Duterte named him to the high court last week, earlier issued a joint statement urging the House to recall the show-cause order it handed down on the three justices of the appellate court who granted temporary liberty to the Ilocos Six.

Marcos and the six detained Ilocos Norte executives and employees had accused the House leadership of violating their constitutional rights, saying the congressional inquiry has become a “full-blown inquisition aimed at seeking coerced confessions.”

The six have been detained in the House since May 29 after they allegedly evaded to answer questions during the inquiry.

They are provincial planning and development officer Pedro Agcaoili, provincial budget officer Evangeline Tabulog, provincial treasurer Josephine Calajate, accountant Eden Battulayan, and treasury office staff Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor.

As this developed, Fariñas described as “a very cheap and wild desperation shot” Gov. Imee Marcos’ allegation that a P100-million fund was being dangled to lawmakers so she would be detained for her alleged misuse of P66.45 million in tobacco funds to purchase vehicles.

Reacting to a news report which quoted the governor as saying “yellow forces” from the Liberal Party were behind moves to corner her over the Ilocos Norte transactions, Fariñas said her statements did not make sense.

“Gov. Marcos has been saying that the inquiry of the Coggpa (committee on good government and public accountability) was purely local politics that should not involve the HOR (House of Representatives)! Now, she’s dragging the ‘yellow’ forces into the picture,” he told reporters in a group message.

“Why would anyone pay P100 million to show the irregularities that she has been committing,” said Fariñas.

Marcos has been subpoenaed to appear at the next hearing on July 25, but she has been advised not to attend, prompting House leaders to warn her that she would also be arrested and placed under House detention like the Ilocos Six.