The House committee on agriculture and food on Tuesday ordered the issuance of subpoenas against suspected “Sibuyas Queen” Lilia Cruz, alias Leah Cruz for the latter’s failure to attend the congressional hearing for the second time.
The committee, chaired by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga, also issued a subpoena against Cruz’s fellow resource person Ernesto Francisco of YOM Trading to compel their presence to the congressional investigation on what legislators believe to be an artificial shortage of the commodity that led to high prices during the Christmas season of 2022.
During the continuation of the panel’s inquiry on the agricultural hoarding issue on Tuesday (March 7), Enverga said told the committee that Cruz and Francisco were absent in Tuesday’s hearing as they had to appear before the Sandiganbayan.
Cruz, a self-described agri-preneur who is implicated in the spike of onion (sibuyas) prices during the previous quarter, failed twice to attend the committee hearing.
Even if Enverga found Cruz and Francisco’s excuse “valid,” he said the committee believes they still have to be compelled to attend the congressional inquiry on the matter.
Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said that the subpoena should force the two resource persons to cooperate and attend the hearing.
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr also agreed that Cruz has to appear before Congress.
It was Barzaga, a noted lawyer, who asked the panel to instruct Cruz to explain in writing why she should not be held in contempt for snubbing the congressional hearing.
Contempt of the Congress may be penalized by indefinite detention at the premises of the House of Representatives.
Speaker Martin G. Romualdez meanwhile welcomed the decision of the committee to cite in contempt Cruz and other resource persons vital to the congressional inquiry on agricultural hoarding issue.
“I was informed that the House Committee on Agriculture has cited in contempt three persons who were invited to attend a hearing on the panel’s investigation into the reported price manipulation and hoarding of onions in the country,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“I am in full support of the decision of the Committee on Agriculture,” Romualdez added.
He stressed: “We will not allow anyone to make a mockery of the hearings now being conducted by the Committee on Agriculture. We expect every resource person invited to tell the truth. No more, no less.”