The House quad-committee (quad-comm) on Tuesday, Jan. 21, lifted its contempt and detention order on former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Wilkins Villanueva.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, lead committee chairman, approved Abang Lingkod Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano's motion for the panel to lift the order. Before this, Villanueva filed a motion for reconsideration.

"I was the one who moved to cite ex-General Wilkins in contempt and I appreciate his gesture of seeking a reconsideration," Paduano said.

The former PDEA chief then promised to cooperate completely with the mega panel and answer questions from its members.

In December, Villanueva was cited for contempt for being evasive in answering questions about the arrest of Jed Pilapil Sy, wife of suspected drug lord and Chinese national Allan Sy, after PDEA agents raided a suspected shabu laboratory in Davao City during Villanueva's helm in 2004.

However, the quad-comm--in the spirit of the Christmas season--postponed the enforcement of its contempt citation and detention order to January, when Congress resumed its session.

Meanwhile, the contempt order on another resource person, former Mandaluyong City police station chief Hector Grijaldo, remained after he questioned the committee's citation order before the Supreme Court (SC).

Grijaldo was cited in contempt due to his continued refusal to attend the panel's investigation. His alibis were medical in nature.

The panel wanted to question him about his allegation that committee co-chairmen Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Sta. Rosa lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez coerced him into supporting the testimony of retired Col. Royina Garma about the existence of the alleged reward system for extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration. 

Abante and Fernandez admitted to meeting Grijaldo, but denied hat they forced him to do anything.