Three former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers in Bulacan have formally asked the Senate to allow them to serve their contempt citations under house arrest, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III confirmed Monday.
The request was filed by former Bulacan 1st District engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, who are currently being held in detention at the Senate after being cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“Letter request pa lang meron silang tatlo (they only have a letter request),” Sotto told reporters, saying the Senate had yet to decide on their appeal.
He said the matter will first be referred to the acting chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, Senator Erwin Tulfo, before any further action will be taken.
The three engineers were cited in contempt for refusing to cooperate during the Senate hearings into irregularities in Bulacan infrastructure projects.
Hernandez was cited on 8 September, followed by Alcantara and Mendoza on 18 September.
Under Senate rules, the chamber may detain individuals who refuse to testify or cooperate in legislative inquiries conducted in aid of legislation.
Aside from the three, contractor Curlee Discaya also remains in Senate custody after being similarly cited in contempt. His lawyer filed a habeas corpus petition to question the legality of his detention, but the Senate maintained that the contempt order was well within its constitutional authority to impose.
The Blue Ribbon Committee is currently investigating alleged irregularities in ghost infrastructure projects and the misuse of public funds within the DPWH.