37 cited for contempt by House panels; permanent detention facility unveiled

The House of Representatives said Saturday that a total of 37 individuals were cited for contempt by several committees during the 19th Congress, as its permanent detention facility has been unveiled.

In a statement, the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, said the 16-person detention facility aims to hold resource persons who were ordered detained by the chamber as it exercises its legislative and oversight functions.

House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco and Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas led the inauguration of the four-room facility located at the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB) building last Wednesday, also attended by several House members as special guests.

The committees that issued the contempt citations were the following: Public Accounts; Public Order and Safety; Human Rights; Dangerous Drugs; Franchise; Agriculture, and others.

Prior to the unveiling of the detention facility, the House of Representatives had no permanent structure to accommodate individuals cited in contempt.

According to Velasco, each of the four rooms of the detention facility could now "comfortably" accommodate four persons cited in contempt during the legislative investigation process and ordered detained for a number of days.

“It's a testament to the unwavering commitment of the House of Representatives' leadership to uphold rights and dignity, a commitment that we take very seriously,” Velasco said.

The lower chamber said currently, there are two individuals detained at the House of Representatives: Daisy Quiros, a real estate broker ordered detained by the Committee on Public Accounts; and Ronalyn Baterna, the corporate secretary of Lucky South 99 ordered detained by the Committee on Public Order and Safety.

“And the provision of clean and comfortable facilities, the fair treatment, the protection of their safety and welfare, and the continuous monitoring by our medical team of their health condition all reflect our operational efficiency within the House and reinforce the integrity of our investigation process,” Velasco said.

Taas meanwhile said that prior to the completion of the detention center, the House temporary facility could no longer accommodate more detainees.

He said they had no choice but to commit Mayor Abundio Punzalan and Loreto Santos, cited in contempt by the Committee on Public Accounts, at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology's facility in Bicutan.

“What we have not only ensured a safe and secured detention facility but one where detainees could serve their detention orders in a dignified condition. It also affords the Security Bureau a facility that is much easier to secure,” Taas said.

Taas added that it would take a minimum of 10 security personnel to secure the detainees of the House of Representatives, but since the construction of the detention facility, only around four is needed. —Jamil Santos/KG, GMA Integrated News