Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 22) — The House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and Food cited another set of cold storage facility executives in contempt during the probe into onion hoarding on Tuesday.
Quezon 1st District Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, chairman of the agriculture panel, cited in contempt Michael Ang and George Ong of Super Five Cold Storage for being unable to justify their absence in previous hearings and for submitting incomplete documents.
They are to be detained at the House of Representatives detention center for 10 days.
It was Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez who made the motion. He noted that Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo earlier asked Ang and Ong if they are involved in trading which they denied, but they admitted being part of a company that trades agricultural products.
All committee members present voted in favor of citing Ang and Ong in contempt.
The lawyer for the Super Five officials asked the committee to reconsider citing the two executives in contempt, noting that they were present and would comply with the panel’s requests.
Cavite 4th District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga told the legal counsel that attendance alone is not enough to exempt resource persons from contempt orders, especially since they testified under oath.
Several resource persons, including trader Lilia Cruz, other representatives of Super Five Cold Storage, Tian Long Corporation, and Rivson Coop Storage Inc., were unable to attend due to medical reasons.
House Medical Director Dr. Luis Jose Bautista was summoned earlier to visit Cruz and Lamata to determine whether their current conditions justified their absence from the hearing. He confirmed the validity of their medical conditions, but he assured the panel that they will be able to attend the hearing in 10 days based on his assessment.
Last March 7, the committee also cited three officials of a cold storage facility in contempt 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 in contempt.
The contempt order was lifted after Zoleta, Sevilla, and Cruz were able to offer their explanations.
