Quad comm lifts contempt order vs ex-PDEA chief Villanueva
File photo shows former PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva (INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ)
MANILA, Philippines — The contempt order issued against former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Wilkins Villanueva has been lifted after the House of Representatives’ quad committee approved his motion for reconsideration.
During the resumption of the hearings on Tuesday, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano said the panels appreciate that Villanueva filed his motion with the quad committee, instead of going directly to the Supreme Court.
According to Paduano, they also took notice of Villanueva’s continuous participation during the hearings and his admission that there may have been a misunderstanding during the previous discussions.
“Ang pag-intindi ko po (My understanding is that) Mr. Chairman, the movant commits that during today’s hearing and that the next hearing, he will cooperate and answer the queries truthfully,” Paduano said.
“And again, Mr. Chairman, for the record, again, I really appreciate this motion for reconsideration of General Wilkins […] unlike in the case of Col. (Hector) Grijaldo and some other guest resource persons that were cited in contempt, instead of filing a motion for reconsideration with this committee in the House, they filed it in the Supreme Court,” he added.
Villanueva was cited for contempt during the quad committee’s hearing last December 12 for refusing to answer relevant questions during a hearing on the past administration’s drug war.
Paduano was also the one who moved that Villanueva be cited for contempt and be detained at the House premises.
However, the quad committee decided to implement the contempt order when the session resumes on January 13 out of humanitarian considerations.
Villanueva’s contempt order came after Paduano warned him not to lie regarding resource person Jed Palapil Sy’s claims that Villanueva interrogated her.
Sy is the wife of suspected drug lord Allan Sy, who in turn reportedly led a syndicate manufacturing crystal meth, or shabu, in Davao City.
