'Powerful' Imee Marcos may be difficult to arrest —solon

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Sunday admitted that it may be difficult for them to arrest Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos if she fails to appear in the July 25 hearing on the supposedly irregular purchase of motor vehicles by the provincial government.

"If we will issue a warrant of arrest, we will be arresting a governor, incumbent governor at Marcos pa ang apelyido. Tingin ko mahirap-hirap 'yan," Pimentel, who chairs the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, told radio dzBB in an interview.

"Si Ronnie Dayan madali lang natin arestuhin dahil ordinary citizen. Pero this person is very powerful," he added, referring to the former driver of Sen. Leila de Lima, who is also detained on drug charges at Camp Crame.

The House of Representatives has issued a subpoena on Marcos, directing her to attend the July 25 hearing after repeatedly failing to show up in the previous hearings.

The House panel is conducting an inquiry into the provincial government's alleged use of tobacco excise tax shares to purchase P66.45 million worth of motor vehicles.

Marcos, however, has manifested on June 23 her intention to skip the hearing as advised by her brother, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Pimentel on Tuesday said that if the governor snubs the hearing, she may be ordered arrested and detained.

The congressman said the House panel will issue a show-cause order on the governor before ordering her arrest.

He said they have already prepared the detention area for the governor.

"So ito [detention area] ay na-identify na namin, but we will still have to improve on it. Kasi ito ay existing satellite Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms," he said.

'Show of guilt'

Even if she is perceived as a powerful person, Pimentel said no one, even the governor, is above the law.

"She just violated a certain law eh bakit... panagutan naman n'ya. Tinatanong lang naman natin 'yong transactions na highly anomalous. Kung totoong inosente siya ay bakit hindi siya sumipot? Bakit hindi niya sagutin yong mga tanong?" he said.

"Siguro po sa tingin ko, may tinatago siya. May kinatatakutan siya na baka magkamali ang sagot niya o baka hindi tama ang sagot nya. This is already [a] show of guilt kasi bakit, kung ikaw inosente, tanungin po kita, kung ikaw ay inosente, matatakot ba kayong umattend ng hearing? Hindi naman po siguro di ba?" he added.

Pimentel assured that the issues against the governor is not personal.

"We're not talking about the personality. We're talking about the issue. The issue is there were funds, government funds for that matter, that were used illegally," he said.

Six officials of Ilocos Norte's provincial government, including Pedro Agcaoili, Evangeline Tabulog, Josephine Calajate, Eden Battulayan, Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor, had been detained at the Batasan Pambansa complex for refusing to answer queries of the panel about the purchase of the motor vehicles during previous hearings.

The Court of Appeals has ordered the release of the six provincial government officials' release from House detention.

Answering the order, the House panel issued a show-cause order on the the appellate court's — Associate Justices Stephen Cruz, Nina Antonino-Valenzuela and Edwin Sorongon. —Erwin Colcol/ALG, GMA News