(CNN Philippines) — Senate President Franklin Drilon signed on Tuesday (May 19) the arrest and detention order of 14 resource persons cited in contempt for their refusal to attend hearings on corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Those ordered to be arrested and detained are:
Aida F. Alcantara
Danilo Villas
Vissia Marie Aldon
Kim Tun S. Chong
Imee S. Chong
Irene S. Chong
Hirene U. Lopez
Kimsfer S. Chong
Erinda S. Chong
Irish S. Chong
Gerardo S. Limlingan Jr.
Antonio L. Tiu
James L. Tiu
Anne Lorraine Buencamino-Tiu
The 14 are presently being linked to VP Binay, who along with son Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. and several others, have been accused of corruption in connection with the alleged overpriced Makati building, among other issues.
“I have signed today the order of arrest and detention against 14 individuals for their repeated refusal to appear before the committee investigating the questionable transactions involving the construction of various government projects, which allegedly involved Vice President Jejomar Binay and Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay,” said Drilon in a statement posted in the Senate’s official social media accounts on Tuesday.
The arrest order came a day after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee upheld its recommendation to cite the 14 resource persons in contempt.
Senators Teofisto Guingona and Antonio Trillanes IV made the announcement on Monday (May 18). Guingona is chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee and Trillanes is the chairman of the subcommittee conducting the hearing.
Sen. Kiko Pimentel, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee, on the other hand, explained that once arrested, the cited individuals would be detained for more than a week.
“They should have acted before the issuance of the orders of arrest. But we’ll see what we can do because we are reasonable people,” Pimentel said. “We understand the next hearing is on May 28.”
Pimentel also added that the Senate’s detention center will be open to the 14, but once full, officials will have to look for an alternative venue.
Meanwhile, three of the 14 have already sent letters for reconsideration to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
In their written appeals, Makati City personnel officer Vissia Aldon, Engineer Line Dela Peña, and Danilo Villas, Head of the Department of Environmental Services of the City Government of Makati, assured the Senate that they will be present in the next hearing.
Dela Peña is one of three individuals who have been cited in contempt for the same reason since January.
Related: 14 cited in contempt for skipping Makati building hearings
CNN Philippines’ Anna Estanislao contributed to this report.
