BuCor exec faces 30 days at Bicutan jail after House contempt citation

The joint four House committees have cited in contempt Senior Superintendent Gerardo Padilla of the Bureau of Corrections over his refusal to answer the lawmakers’ questions.

The contempt citation carried a 30-day detention for Padilla at the Bicutan city jail.

This happened after the committee unanimously approved the motion made by Abang Lingkod party-list lawmaker Stephen Paduano after Padilla refused to answer questions linked to the 2016 deaths of three Chinese convicted of drug charges at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF).

Padilla, former officer-in-charge of the DPPF, did not give a response when asked about the transfer of inmates Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Tan Jr. to the Inmate Custodial Aid (ICA) area following their killing of the three Chinese.

Jimmy Fortaleza, a person deprived of liberty, testified before the House panels about the transfer of Magdadaro and Tan to ICA. Fortaleza also said that after the incident involving the Chinese, he saw Magdadaro and Tan wearing nice clothes and jewelry.  He said he also heard about the two receiving  P1 million each. 

Magdadaro and Tan had said they executed the Chinese inmates on the order of former President Rodrigo Duterte.  They added that Duterte even called Padilla for a job well done. 

“Superintendent Padilla, there is a new case filed against them (Magdadaro and Tan) for homicide [for killing the Chinese]. And they admitted it. Why put them in ICA? That [decision is] in your discretion and that's [within] your authority. Answer,” Paduano said during the House investigation on drug war deaths during the Duterte administration.

“Oh, you refuse to answer? You refuse [to answer]? Paduano added.

For both questions, Padilla replied “Yes.”

This prompted Paduano to make the motion for the contempt citation.

The House committee specifically said Padilla violated Section 11 Paragraph C of the House rules procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation.—LDF, GMA Integrated News