By Liza Soriano
Former Mayor Teddy Tumang of Mexico town in Pampanga may face contempt charges from the House of Representatives Committee on Dangerous Drugs for leaking information supposedly taken up during the panel’s last closed-door session last week.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, committee chairman, today said he would again invite Tumang to his panel’s next hearing on the recent seizure of more than 560 kilos of shabu worth P3.6 billion from a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino in Mexico.
“Executive session yun at ang napag-usapan ay tungkol sa nasabing droga na nasabat at ang mga sirkumstansiya sa pagkaka-diskubre ng 560 kilos (of shabu) at operational details na confidential in nature. Wala pong pinag-usapan tungkol sa politika,” he said.
He said he would ask the former town mayor to tell the committee from whom he got the information about what was tackled during the executive session.
House rules governing inquiries in aid of legislation prohibit the disclosure of information discussed in an executive session. Disclosure may be sanctioned.
The Barbers committee went into a closed-door session after an open hearing on Oct. 9 to give the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Information a free hand in briefing the committee on the entry into the country and seizure of the large shabu shipment in Barangay San Jose Malino.
The former Mexico mayor attended the public part of the hearing along with other former and incumbent Mexico officials.
The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed Tumang in connection with a graft case.
The revelation by the former town mayor of information supposedly discussed during the closed-door session came to the attention of the committee.
The committee has subpoenaed businessman Willy Ong, owner of the Barangay San Jose Malino warehouse where the P3.6 billion worth of shabu was seized, and Roy Gomez, a town hall aide of Tumang when he was mayor.
Aside from working at the municipal hall, Gomez, according to the former mayor, facilitated documents like permits for Ong.
During the Oct. 9 hearing, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said, “Nakikita ko po Mr. chair, parang yung municipality of Mexico is very privy to the activities of Mr. Willy Ong, starting from the barangay all the way up to the municipality.”
“We just want to know, huwag sana po kayong magagalit Mayor Tumang, gusto lang po naming malaman kasi dalawang beses na po sa Pampanga, sa Mexico po, and this is one of the biggest drug busts, whether officials from barangay to municipality, we are not accusing anyone yet Mayor Tumang, pero gusto po nating malaman kung involved po kayong mga local official doon sa drug bust, Mayor Tumang,” Pimentel said
(ai/mnm)