HEARING ON ALLEGED LEAKED DOCUMENTS: Former agent of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Jonathan Morales attends the continuation of the investigation conducted by the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Monday, May 13, 2024, on the alleged leak of PDEA documents. During the second hearing held last May 7, Morales claimed several individuals attempted to block his participation in the hearing. (File photo from Bibo Nueva Espa帽a/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senators cited former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales for contempt and ordered his detention for 鈥渃ontinuously lying鈥� before the chamber.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada made the motion on Monday after he supposedly caught Morales in a web of lies.
Estrada initially asked Morales why he answered 鈥渘o鈥� in a personal data sheet (PDS) he submitted to PDEA, when he was asked if he had been found guilty in any case.
鈥淲hy did you misrepresent yourself and you answered no?,鈥� an irked Estrada asked, to which Morales answered: 鈥淭his is not the official document submitted to PDEA.鈥�
READ: Former PDEA chief: Ex-agent Morales known as 鈥楽TL or storytelling liar鈥�
Later into the hearing, Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa鈥攃hair of the public order and dangerous drugs panel鈥攋oined Estrada鈥檚 prodding. He specifically asked Morales why he cannot categorically state why he 鈥渕isrepresented鈥� himself on the PDS document submitted to PDEA.
Morales proceeded to reason out, which fueled Estrada鈥檚 annoyance.
鈥淭his person is a liar. I asked earlier if this is his signature and he answered in the affirmative. I also asked if this was his handwriting and he said he can no longer remember. When I presented the PDS to him, he said he鈥檚 studying it, but he admitted that it was, in fact, his handwriting. Now, he is denying that he answered this one particular question. Then who else would鈥檝e answered no? A ghost?,鈥� Estrada asked.
Not long after, Estrada made the motion to cite Morales for contempt for 鈥渃ontinuously lying.鈥� Dela Rosa, on the other hand, accepted Estrada鈥檚 motion.
Morales was an alleged signatory to 鈥渓eaked鈥� PDEA documents supposedly linking President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr.聽 to illegal drug use.
The documents in question pertain to PDEA鈥檚 authority to operate and a pre-operation report dated March 11, 2012.