Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos held a press conference on Thursday morning to criticize the detention in the House of Representatives of six (6) local officials of Ilocos Norte.
Marcos intends to ask the Supreme Court to take jurisdiction of the case.
She is set to file a petition for this purpose.
“Kung may terorismo sa Marawi, mayroon namang hostage crisis sa Kongreso (if there is terrorism in Marawi, there is a hostage crisis in Congress),” she said during the press briefing.
The governor is referring to the imprisonment of the so-called Ilocos 6 inside Batasang Pambansa complex for nearly two months now.
These individuals were detained in connection with the alleged anomalous purchase of government vehicles worth P 66-million for use of tobacco farmers in Ilocos Norte.
The House Committee on Good Governance conducted three hearings on the matter.
The inquiry was initiated by House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte First District Representative Rudy Fariñas.
Marcos was summoned to the hearings but she did not attend the proceedings.
Lawmakers had threatened the governor with detention if she would not show up in the next hearing on July 25.
“Ang trabaho ng kongreso ay maghain at gumawa ng batas (Congress’ job is to file and enact laws), not investigation in aid of persecution of political opponents,” Marcos said, referring to Fariñas.
She insisted, “walang ghost project. Pag pumunta ka sa Ilocos, all 110 mini-trucks are all accounted for at ginagamit ng mga magsasaka (there is no ghost project. If you go to Ilocos, all 110 mini-trucks are accounted for and being used by farmers).”
She added, “ang liwa-liwanag na pinaninindigan namin, hindi kami nagkaka-problema sa COA (it is very clear and we are standing by it, we are not having any problems with the Commission on Audit).”
