MANILA – The House of Representatives’ quad committee (quadcom) on Wednesday cited former Mayor Teddy Tumang of Mexico town, Pampanga province in contempt for “lying and evading questions from committee members.”
The panel also ordered the detention of Tumang inside the House premises until the termination of the investigation into the illegal drugs and the illicit Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs).
During the quadcom’s 12th hearing, Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro tried to establish the link between 560 kilos of shabu worth PHP3 billion seized in a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino in Mexico in September 2023 and the acquisition of “320 landholdings” by Chinse nationals in that town.
Luistro said the Chinese nationals Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong were the Chinese incorporators of Empire 999 Realty Corp. which owned the warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino.
The Chinese nationals, she said, used bogus Filipino birth certificates to form corporations and purchase lands in Mexico.
Tumang admitted he met Yang and Ong when they came to his office to buy land, but said he did not know them “personally.”
At this point, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano intervened and told Tumang that he was lying to the committee.
“You are lying! I have evidence that you personally know Aedy Ty Yang. In fact, you traveled together to Fujian in China. I have photos,” Paduano said.
It was only then that the former Mexico mayor admitted that he and other town officials had traveled to China with Yang.
“So you are lying, you are evasive. I am sorry to say this, bulok na yung style mo. Sa committee [public accounts] ko pa lang at sa Committee on Dangerous Drugs, kabisado ka na namin (Your style is crap. In my committee alone and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, we are already familiar with you),” Paduano told Tumang.
Paduano moved to cite Tumang in contempt, seconded by quadcom vice chairperson Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop.
Acop said he supported Paduano’s motion because he agreed with his colleague on Tumang’s style of answering.
“Di ka nagsasabi ng totoo kaagad (You do not tell the truth readily). When you are confronted with evidence, that’s when you are forced to tell the truth,” he said.
In November last year, the Committee on Dangerous Drugs also cited Tumang in contempt and detained him for 15 days. (PNA)
