Labor exec Jing Paras denies stealing Villarin’s phone

Former Negros Oriental Representative and now Labor Undersecretary Jacinto "Jing" Paras on Tuesday denied that he stole the phone of Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin.

"Bakit ko naman nanakawin yung cellphone niya? [Isasangkalan] ko yung buong reputation ko at buhay para manakaw lang yung cellphone niya?" Paras told reporters in a phone interview.

Villarin has filed a theft complaint against Paras before the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City for allegedly stealing his iPhone X during one of the hearings at the House of Representatives last March.

Paras explained that at the time, he was hurrying to move to Zulueta Hall to attend the hearing of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs when he "must have lifted" Villarin's phone.

"Hindi ko alam na nadala ko yung cellphone niya. I have moved to another room. So probably I have left it there pagkatapos nung nagsalita ako doon. Nung paalis na ako, hindi ko alam na nadala ko pala yun, tapos pagkaalis ko, naiwan ko siguro doon [sa Zulueta Hall]," he said.

Paras added that he did not know that what he was holding was Villarin's phone, and he "must not have heard" that Villarin's staff was calling his phone because he was in the hearing.

"If I have intention to steal his cellphone, bakit niya narecover at bakit naiwan lang sa Congress? Kung magnanakaw ako, edi inuwi ko yung cellphone niya," he said.

Snooping for info?

Villarin claimed that Paras was trying to get information from his phone, which he said he may use against Senator Risa Hontiveros.

Paras in September 2017 filed multiple criminal charges against Hontiveros with the Ombudsman for disclosing his supposed text messages with then-Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and for exploiting minor witnesses in the probe of Kian delos Santos’ killing.

Villarin also said that during the hearing, Villarin approached him and told him: "Kayo pala ni Senator Hontiveros ang magkasama."

Paras, however, denied Villarin's accusations.

"Bakit ko naman kukunin yung impormasyon sa kanya e halos lahat ng cellphone may passcode yan e," he said.

"Iba ang pinag-usapan namin about the issue. Dagdag na lang niya yan because he wants to connect me with my case that I filed against Senator Hontiveros to picture me that I have bad intentions," he added.

Paras maintained that he will not gain anything from stealing Villarin's phone.

"Sa theft there must be an intent to gain. What did I gain out of it?" he said.

He added that he will answer Villarin's complaint, which he said is "very malicious."

"In fact, this jives with their desperation kasi kanina [Senator Antonio] Trillanes in the Senate threatened me. I don't know why I am a threat to them. Nanahimik ako, nagta-trabaho," he said. — RSJ/JST, GMA News