By Billy Begas
The House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Tuesday cited in contempt two officials of a storage facility allegedly for not telling the truth.
During the hearing, Quezon Rep. Jayjay Suarez moved to cite in contempt Michael Ang, one of the directors, and George Ong, general manager of the Super 5 Cold storage facility.
“Unfortunately our guests from Super 5 cold storage remain to be evasive. So Mr. Chair I move to cite in contempt Mr. Michael Ang and Mr. George Ong,” Suarez said.
Committee chairperson and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga said that under House Rules, the panel may punish any person for contempt with a two-thirds vote.
Enverga said the rules only require 13 votes, and 20 members voted in favor of the motion.
The two will be detained for 10 days unless earlier revoked by the committee, Enverga said.
Suarez explained that the two categorically denied that they were involved in trading during the inquiry of Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo only to admit later that they are engaged in trading.
“Cong. Stella asked, are you involved in trading and they said categorically ‘no,’ and when the name of the company was mentioned which was involved in trading, inamin niya na bahagi ako ng kumpanyang ‘yun so pagsisinungaling po ‘yun sa komitebang ito so I think Mr. chair those are enough basis for us to find these individuals worthy to be cited in contempt,” Suarez stressed.
The lawyer of the Super 5 cold storage facility tried but failed to persuade the panel to reconsider the motion stressing that his client appeared before the panel to cooperate in the investigation.
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. however said that attending the committee does not mean that a resource person cannot be cited in contempt.
The committee is trying to determine the personalities behind the alleged hoarding of onion that created the artificial shortage that increased the prices recently.
