Tugade has last laugh

Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/John Paul R. Autor

Wear happy colors.

Beleaguered Sen. Leila de Lima found herself getting friendly advice from female colleagues in the Senate as she continues to be hounded by controversies in the ongoing House inquiry into her alleged links withdrug lords inside the national penitentiary.

After Monday’s session, De Lima was overheard having girl talk with Senators Loren Legarda and Nancy Binay at the session floor.

De Lima, who has vehemently denied receiving payoffs from convicted drug lords at New Bilibid Prison, was deeply concerned that her accusers were pressuring people close to her to testify against her.

Legarda advised De Lima to make people closely working for her to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Legarda told De Lima that her staff members, including her household staff, have signed this document.

“They cannot even take my picture,” she told De Lima.

Legarda also gave De Lima fashion tips. She noted that De Lima, who was clad in black, looked like she had just gone to a funeral.

Binay agreed. “Wear happy colors!” she told De Lima.

—CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO, @10avendanoINQ

ZIKA PROCLAMATION

Before the start of an event at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, reporters peppered Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade with questions on everything related to his department—from the country’s maddening traffic to the trouble-prone mass railway system.

While he patiently responded to each query, one question fielded by a TV reporter left Tugade stumped for a moment. “What is the department doing to stop the spread of Zika virus at the country’s airports?”

“Come on. That’s not in my department. That one’s for the DOH (Department of Health).” Tugade then excused himself, saying the program was about to start.

He hadn’t even warmed his seat when with a mischievous smile he called over the reporter who asked the “Zika” question. He also called other members of the media to come over for an “important” announcement.

“Starting today, I am declaring a ban on the Zika virus in all airports nationwide.” The secretary chuckled over his antic while reporters around him either groaned or tee-heed.

—JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE

@jiandradeINQ

LATE DIVIDEND

Sometimes, it pays for reporters to stay behind even if congressional hearings drag mercilessly past 8 in the evening.

Case in point is the last hearing in the House. Many reporters called it a day after members of the House justice committee voted to cite

Sen. Leila de Lima’s driver and alleged lover Ronnie Dayan in contempt for failing to abide by the subpoena and show up before the inquiry on the accusations against her “in aid of legislation.”

This reporter thought of pulling out and having dinner. After all, would any ground-shaking development top the contempt citation so late in the evening?

Consider that since

2:30 p.m., the hearing had mostly devolved into meandering and repetitive interpellations on the same salient points.

But lo and behold, the legislators realized after 40 minutes that they may not have the authority to order the arrest of Dayan.

At the motion of Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the committee’s 10 members voted to withdraw the contempt citation they had passed an hour earlier.

The committee noted that Dayan should be allowed to explain first why he should not be cited in contempt. They could only hold him in contempt once they find no legal basis for him to skip the hearings.

—VINCE F. NONATO, @VinceNonatoINQ