CEBU CITY – The former chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas (PDEA-7) has criticized the decision of the House quad-committee to cite former PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva for contempt.
RUIZ
Yogi Filemon Ruiz on Facebook aired his frustration over the order to detain Villanueva who was cited for contempt by committee co-chairperson Abang-Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano during the hearing on Dec. 13.
“I have had the honor to serve our country with Director General Wilkins Villanueva as a drug buster and I have personally witnessed how he sacrificed for our country. And to put him in such humiliation just because a congressman, who spends all his time in an airconditioned office being served by paid office staff, cannot accept the answers because it does not fit into his agenda is such a gut-wrenching experience,” Ruiz said in a Facebook post on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The post has garnered 7,700 shares, 7,800 reactions, and 656 comments as of Monday, Dec. 16.
Paduano moved to cite Villanueva in contempt after he refused to answer questions on a 2004 anti-drug operation in Davao City.
The committee approved Paduano’s motion but Villanueva’s arrest order will be enforced on Jan. 13 after committee vice chairperson Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop made a separate motion moving the detention of the former PDEA chief to next year.
Ruiz, a former Customs commissioner who is running for Cebu City mayor in next year’s elections, posed some questions for Paduano.
“Have you put your life on the line for our country? Have you placed your life and limb in front of blazing red-hot bullets aimed at you just so that you can accomplish your mandate of eradicating criminals from our society?” said Ruiz.
Ruiz added that detaining Villanueva was uncalled for.
“We placed our lives and took criminal lives for our country. Director General Wilkins Villanueva deserves better than to be cited in contempt just because his answers do not fit the game plan. I am writing this post to express my frustration and regret. So much regret,” Ruiz said.