HOUSE Majority Floor Leader Rodofo Fariñas on Tuesday probed one of the Ilocos Norte officials detained over the tobacco fund mess, but this time on her alleged ownership of a house with swimming pool and resort/villa.
Fariñas said he got hold of photos and papers of the properties of Genedine Jambaro, staff of the Office of the Provincial Treasurer and one of the "Ilocos 6" earlier detained at the House of Representatives in relation to the probe against Governor Imee Marcos.
He then showed photos of a house with swimming pool, as well as "twin villas" supposedly owned by Jambaro.
"Alam mo ba Genedine yung mga kapitbahay mo nagtetext na sa akin kasi yung bahay mo may swimming pool, may resort ka na and everything. Gusto nila pa lifestyle check kita. Totoo may swimming pool bahay mo? [You’re] under oath," Fariñas asked.
Jambaro admitted, but said that she was not the sole owner of the properties.
"Bahay namin, your honor. Bahay ng family namin...[M]ay mga relatives ako may mga foreign aid din po kami sir," she said.
The property, according to Fariñas, was named under Jambaro and her husband, whom he claims is a capitol security guard.
"Meron akong kopya ng OHA dito nakapangalan kayo ng asawa mo. Tax declaration. Pati titulo, kayo ng asawa mo na gwardya sa kapitolyo ang nakapangalan do'n sa resort na may swimming pool, may grocery," he said.
Fariñas also said the defense of Jambaro was similar to that of late Chief Justice Renato Corona, who in 2012 was convicted by an impeachment court over undeclared properties in his SALN.
"'Yan din ang sinabi ni Chief Justice Corona na joint account [nila] ng mga anak...So mag-ingat po kayo dahil baka ma anti graft kayo nyan ah," he said.
Jambaro had been detained by the House committee on good government and public accountability for 55 days along with other five Ilocos officials for refusing to answer questions about allegedly anomalous transactions using the province's tobacco funds.
Marcos, the main subject of the probe, finally attended Tuesday.
"Kaya ma'am tignan nyo po yung mga binibigyan ng cash advance nakakatakot dahil, oh may swimming pool," Fariñas told Marcos.
The inquiry ended with Fariñas ordering the lifting of the order against the six, setting them free from detention.
However, Fariñas noted that Marcos and her provincial officers are not yet off the hook. (VoxPop Philippines)