Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 7) — The House Committee on Agriculture and Food cited in contempt Tuesday three officials of a cold storage facility for failing to provide documents sought by lawmakers seeking to establish the possible hoarding and price manipulation of onions.
Thirty-five lawmakers voted in favor of the motion of SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta to cite Argo Cold Storage chairman Efren Zoleta Jr., operations manager John Patrick Sevilla, and lawyer John Jan Ryan Cruz.
The contempt was after Sevilla irked a number of lawmakers for refusing to submit documents providing details of Argo’s clients due to a confidentiality clause in the service agreement with them.
Argo Trading is allegedly one of the cold storage firms in the country involved in onion hoarding and price manipulation.
Sevilla, who was present during the hearing, was immediately escorted outside the hearing venue by security personnel.
Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, the committee chair, said the three officials will be detained inside Batasang Pambansa for a maximum of 10 days, as provided under House rules.
\”We do have a facility here to accommodate Mr. Sevilla, Mr. Zoleta, and Atty. Cruz in the grounds of Congress. So 10 days,\” Enverga said.
The House Sergeant at Arms, meanwhile, was ordered to locate Zoleta and Cruz since they skipped the hearing.
After being cited in contempt, Sevilla eventually agreed to submit records sought by the panel, but Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said the details included in the documents were insufficient.
Sevilla said a soft copy of the documents he submitted to the panel contained a watermark of the confidentiality clause.
Marcoleta and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, however, said any indication of confidentiality in the papers doesn’t bind the House committee as it’s only an agreement between the cold storage facility and the client.
\”Gagawin ninyo kaming tanga rito, Mr. Sevilla. Hindi kami tanga. Yung nilagay mong ‘this is strictly confidential,’ does not bind this committee,\” Marcoleta said.
[Translation: You’re going to make a fool of us here, Mr. Sevilla. We are not stupid. What you put ‘this is strictly confidential,’ does not bind this committee.]
In a statement, House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed support for the committee’s decision to cite the officials in contempt. He said every resource person invited to the House is expected to tell the truth.
\”Malinaw ang layunin namin nang simulan ang mga hearings na ito. Kailangang maipababa ang presyo ng sibuyas sa lalong madaling panahon,\” Romualdez said.
\”Kailangang makilala kung sino ang bumubuo ng kartel na nagmamanipula ng presyo ng bilihin. Kailangang buwagin ang mga kartel na ito na nagpapahirap sa bayan,\” he added.
