Royina Garma (Facebook)

Who says that the House of Representatives' quad-committee (quad-comm) is a heartless bunch of congressmen? 

Quad-comm co-chairman, Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez expressed willingness to let retired police colonel Royina Garma have the company of her daughter, who supposedly has special needs. 

This, after the controversial Garma was cited for contempt on Thursday night, Sept. 12, and ordered detained indefinitely at the House detention center within Batasan Pambaansa Complex. 

Just before Garma was to be escorted by security to the detention facility, she made a last-minute plea to the special four-way panel so that she may be allowed to go home instead. 

"I have a daughter waiting for me who attempted to kill herself three times! I cannot leave her Mr. Chair, she's waiting for me," the sobbing former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager said. 

She added that she was willing to truthfully answer all of the questions of the quad-comm. 

Garma is being implicated in the killing of three Chinese drug lords within the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in August 2016, or during the time of former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs. 

Seemingly moved by what he heard, Fernandez made a  manifestation. 

"We sympathize with you Col. Royina Garma. But of course we have already decided, and the proper recourse is to apply for a motion for reconsideration," Fernandez told the tearful woman. 

"In relation to your daughter na sinasabi mo po (who you're talking about), could you kindly give us a [medical] certificate? Kasi (Because) we really don't know," said the lawmaker from Laguna. 

"We'll be asking the sergeant-at-arms to fetch yung anak niya (her child), to be with her. Para at least ay makita natin yung kalagayan ng kanyang anak (So that we can at least see her child's situation). 

"I think it is just right for us to bring the child in here para makasama po ni colonel Garma (so that colonel Garma can be with her). 

Fernandez moved to suspend the hearing right after this, and Garma was taken to detention.

Co-chairman Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano was the one who moved to cite Garma for contempt after the latter supposedly lied about her ties with Duterte. 

The quad-comm hearing Thursday--which lasted 12 hours--established that, at the very least, Duterte had favored Garma on some occasions. 

Quad-comm lead chairman, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers also advised Garma regarding her contempt citation. 

"If you want to question the decision of the committee, you can either question this before a court or file a motion for recon[sideration] before the quad-comm. And we will certainly entertain the motion," Barbers said.
 

On average, the quad-comm cites for contempt at least one resource person per hearing.