Ousted Mexico, Pampanga Mayor Teddy Tumang has been granted temporary liberty after a three-week confinement in the custody of the House of Representatives.
Tumang's release comes after Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales appealed to the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs — which detained the former mayor — and cited violations of the House rules during its inquiry in November.
"Mr. Chairman, may I move that the committee temporarily release Mayor Tumang, who is my kabalen and kumpare, so [that] he could be with his family during the coming Christmas and New Year holidays," Gonzales told the panel chaired by Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers on Wednesday.
The committee continued its probe into the seizure of 530 kilos of "shabu" worth P3.6 billion last 27 September in Mexico, Pampanga.
In late August, authorities also recovered 200 kilos of "shabu" worth P1.3 billion found abandoned in a car parked at a supermarket in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
Gonzales filed House Resolution 1346 following the series of massive shabu busts, stressing that his province is not a haven for drug traffickers.
Tumang was detained in Congress on 15 November after allegedly disclosing information from an executive session that runs counter to the House rules. Executive sessions are confidential and not subject to public discussion.
The panel assented to the Antipolo Representative Romeo Acop's motion to cite Tumang in contempt for violating Section 7 of the House rules and procedure governing inquiries in aid of legislation for the supposed leak of the closed-door discussion on illegal drugs during its previous executive session on 9 October.
Section 7 prohibits the disclosure of information taken up in executive session of the House or any of its committees.
Tumang allegedly disclosed in a press conference the details of the executive session, naming Gonzales as the person he suspected of implicating him for his supposed involvement in the massive drug haul, prompting his detention.
The committee, during its latest probe, however, gave the nod to Gonzales' petition to accord Tumang a temporary liberty until Congress resumes its session on 22 January next year after a month-long Christmas recess.
Gonzales said the furlough would also allow Tumang to recuperate from Covid-19, which he had contracted while being detained at the House premises.
Barbers greenlighted Gonzales' request, saying he also received a letter from Tumang repeatedly apologizing to the committee for divulging information taken up in a secret session.
Tumang was the chief executive of Mexico town for 16 years. He was dismissed from the service in August after the Ombudsman indicted him in multiple counts of graft and malversation.
