House of Representatives (MANILA BULLETIN)

The House Committees on Public Accounts and on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms have had enough of Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba's refusal to attend their joint probe on the alleged illegal expenditures of the provincial government during the 2022 campaign period. 

In a joint hearing Thursday, Aug. 17, the members of the committees cited Mamba for contempt for 1) refusal without legal excuse to obey summons, and (2) undue interference in the conduct of proceedings of the rules of the House.  

This, after Mamba failed to attend the congressional inquiry repeatedly and refused to issue travel authorities to the officials of Cagayan provincial government to attend the hearings. He was ordered detained by the House. 

Also cited for contempt was Cagayan Provincial Information Officer (PIO) Rogelio Sending, who unlike Mamba was present at the hearing. Sending was also ordered detained. 

“Since the governor of Cagayan was not able to obey the processes of these two committees, in the spirit of equitable provision of the law, I move that we cite the governor of Cagayan for contempt, Mr. Chair,” Antipolo 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop said during the hearing. 

“As what we have done with the other officers of the provincial government of Cagayan that after they have been cited in contempt we move for the detention of the people who are cited in contempt. Therefore, Mr. Chair may I respectfully move that Governor Mamba be detained pursuant to our Rules,” Acop added. 

The public accounts panel and the suffrage panel separaretly approved the two motions after none of the attending solons objected. 

In the case of Sending, the committees ordered him detained for 30 days for disobeying summons without legal excuse. 

The joint panel also lifted the contempt and detention order against Cagayan Provincial Administrator Maria Rosario Villaflor. 

She was detained last week after reportedly refusing to sign the travel authorities of Cagayan provincial officers Vita Vergara, Catalino Arugay, Maritel Bautista, Kristine Reyes, Ma. Anita Obispo, Amelia Manalo, Rosario Mandac, Heracleo Dumapal, Roselle Buncad, Daisy Baguisi, and lawyer Rogelio Taliping.  

Invited resource persons to a House hearing can be cited in contempt and detained if they are deemed uncooperative or hiding something. 

Sending also serves as a program anchor of Bombo Radyo-Tuguegarao. His radio program with Mamba has been a focal point of the House inquiry as solons suspect that government funds may have been used to pay for its cost.