House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety cited in contempt two high-ranking police officers for their apaprent refusal to tell the truth in relation to the alleged unlawful arrest, arbitrary detention, extortion, and grave coercion of four Chinese nationals last September 2023 in Parañaque City.

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo moved to detain Southern Police District’s (SPD) Brigadier General Roderick Mariano and Colonel Charlie Cabradilla for supposedly lying and showing disrespect to the the committee during its probe on Monday, Feb. 5.

Tulfo called out Mariano for being a “disgrace to the Philippine National Police (PNP), especially to the high-ranking officers”.

“Obvious na obvious na nagsisinungaling ka, obvious na obvious na pinagtatakpan ka,” Tulfo told him to his face.

(It's obvious that you're lying, it's obvious that they’re covering up for you.)

“This investigation is not going anywhere because they’re really lying, may mga testigo na tayo, ayaw pang magsalita (we already have witnesses, and they don't want to talk),” the lawmaker added.

“We don’t have a choice, parang binabastos yung committee mo, pinaglalaruan, pinagtatawanan (it's like your committee is being insulted, played with, laughed at). Akala siguro mga batang paslit tayo sa (Maybe they thought we’re just toddlers here in) Congress so we have to teach them a lesson,” he told the panel chaired by Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez. 

The House panel cited both Mariano and Cabradilla in contempt. They were slapped with a penalty of 30 days in detention at the House premises.

The two will join six other detained officers who were previously cited in contempt during a committee hearing on Jan. 30.

Originally detained for only 15 days, the detention of the six officers was extended to 30 days or “until such time they reconsider their statements” to the panel.

Fernandez bared that he expected the officers to be freed during Monday's proceedings, but he decided against it after the individuals continued to lie.

“The problem is you continue lying. Gusto ko na sanang pakawalan kaso patuloy pa rin ang pagsisinungaling (I would like to release them but the lying persists),” noted Fernandez.