The House quad committee detained on Wednesday former Mexico, Pampanga, mayor Teddy Tumang after citing him in contempt for “lying” about his supposed links with Chinese personalities allegedly involved in Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs).
Tumang was first detained in the House in November last year for 15 days for a similar reason.
The erstwhile mayor drew the ire of the mega-panel probing the interlink between illegal drugs, POGOs, and other concerns after he reportedly denied that he “personally knows” Aedy Ty Yang and Willy Ong.
The two were reportedly among the incorporators of Empire 999 Realty Corporation, the realty firm that owned the warehouse in Barangay San Jose Malino in Tumang’s town where P3.5 billion worth of shabu was seized in September last year.
“No, your honor,” Tumang said in response to Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro’s query.
Luistro was establishing the link between the said shabu haul and the acquisition by Chinese nationals of “320 landholdings” in the same town.
The lawmaker asserted it was clear that illegal drug proceeds were used in the purchase of large tracts of land in the town with the aid of bogus Filipino birth certificates.
“Have you met them?” Luistro asked.
The former mayor admitted that he met the two when they visited the municipal hall to buy land in the town but vehemently denied personally knowing them.
Quad comm co-chair Stephen Joseph Paduano butted in and scolded the ex-mayor for “lying!”
“I have evidence that you personally know Aedy Ty Yang. In fact, you traveled together to Fujian in China. I have photos,” Paduano argued.
Tumang later admitted that he traveled to China with Yang, along with other Mexico town officials.
“So you are lying, you are evasive. I am sorry to say this, but your style is crap. [We] in my committee (public accounts) and the Committee on Dangerous Drugs already memorized you,” Paduano told Tumang before he moved to cite him in contempt.
Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, the panel’s vice chair, seconded the motion.
“You don’t tell the truth right away. When you are confronted with evidence, that’s when you are forced to tell the truth,” he said, citing the China trip referred to by Paduano.
Yang and Ong were accused of exploiting their connections with Mexico officials to acquire vast landholdings and expand their illicit operations.
“Mayor Tumang knowingly supported the illegal acquisition of land by Aedy T. Yang and Willie Ong under Empire 999 in Mexico, Pampanga,” Luistro said.
Further, she pointed out that Tumang was already acquainted with Yang and Ong even prior to his 2017 trip to Fujian, China, and was aware of Yang’s suspicious activities and foreign nationality.
The investigation revealed that nine landholdings in Mexico, Pampanga, were transferred to Empire 999 under suspicious circumstances, including one previously owned by Tumang’s brother, Architect Alex Tumang.