Former Mexico, Pampanga mayor Teddy Tumang (PPAB)

The House quad-committee (quad-comm) cited for contempt on Wednesday, Nov. 27, former Mexico, Pampanga mayor Teddy Tumang after supposedly lying and evading lawmakers' questions in a hearing.

The quad-comm, which is probing the alleged links between illegal drugs and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), ordered Tumang's detention inside House premises.

Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano, the panel’s co-chairman, made the motion to cite the former mayor for contempt.

It was during the interpellation of Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, when Paduano observed that Tumang was lying.

Luistro was trying to establish the link between the Chinese nationals' acquisition of 320 landholdings in Mexico town to the 560 kilos of "shabu" (worth P3 billion) that were seized by authorities in a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino in the same town in September 2023.

She said Chinese businessmen Aedy Ty Yang,  Willy Ong, and other Chinese nationals were the incorporators of Empire 999—the realty firm that owned the warehouse in San Jose Malino.

According to Luistro, it was apparent that proceeds from illegal drugs were used in the purchase of large parcels of land in Mexico town.

She even noted that Chinese nationals used fabricated birth certificates to appear as Filipinos, in order to facilitate the formation of corporations and land purchases.

This prompted Luistro to ask former mayor Tumang if he “personally knew” Yang and Ong.

“No, your honor,” Tumang bluntly answered.

“Have you met them?” Luistro asked.

The former mayor admitted that he met both businessman when they came to his office to buy land. However, he insisted that he did not “personally” knew them.

It was at this point when Paduano got involved, telling Tumang, “You are lying!”

“I have evidence that you personally know Aedy Ty Yang. In fact, you travelled together to Fujian in China. I have photos,” Paduano said.

After being confronted with this information, the former mayor hesitantly revealed that he and other town officials had travelled to China with Yang.

“So you are lying, you are evasive. I am sorry to say this, bulok na yung style mo. Sa committee ko (Public Accounts) pa lang at sa Committee on Dangerous Drugs, kabisado ka na namin,” Paduano stressed.

(I am sorry to say this, your style is rotten. During the hearings in my committee and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, we were already familiar with you.)

In November last year, the Dangerous Drugs Committee also issued a contempt charge against Tumang. He was earlier detained within House premises for 15 days.

Quad-comm Vice Chairman Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop seconded Paduano’s move.

Acop said he supported the motion because he agreed with his colleague on Tumang’s style of answering.

“Di ka nagsasabi ng totoo kaagad (You don't tell the truth right away). When you are confronted with evidence, that’s when you are forced to tell the truth,” he said, citing the China trip referred to by Paduano.

After hearing no objection, quad-comm overall .hairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers approved the motion.