Sta. Rosa Metropolis Rep. Dan Fernandez | PHOTO: Official web site of the Home of Representatives / congress.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — An ethics criticism has been lodged towards Santa Rosa Metropolis Rep. Dan Fernandez, accusing him of allegedly blocking Whirlwind Company stakeholder Katherine Cassandra Ong from searching for authorized counsel throughout the Home quad committee hearings.
In his 24-page petition submitted to the Home committee on ethics and privileges on Monday, Ong’s lawyer Ferdinand Topacio claimed that Fernandez a number of occasions succeeded in stopping Ong from consulting her lawyer.
Topacio accompanied Ong throughout a number of of the quad committee hearings within the fourth quarter of 2024.
Based on Topacio, he informed the panel a number of occasions that Ong was entitled to having a lawyer of her personal alternative, as assured by the 1987 Structure.
Nonetheless, Topacio stated Fernandez prevented this a number of occasions, even when the quad committee lead presiding officer and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers already allowed.
“In the course of the third quad comm listening to, Respondent failed to acknowledge Cassandra’s proper to counsel, as a useful resource speaker within the joint committee listening to. I emphasised that the best to counsel is a proper assured by a minimum of the Structure,” Topacio stated.
“Recalling the change cited above, even Chairman Rep. Barbers acknowledged Cassandra’s proper to seek the advice of his lawyer. He affirmed that it’s however proper to let her seek the advice of me earlier than answering the questions of the Committee. Rep. Barbers acknowledged the best of my consumer to counsel, versus Respondent who saved on stopping me from advising my consumer,” he added.
Topacio additionally claimed that Fernandez believed that the explanation why Ong kept away from giving direct solutions throughout the listening to was due to him — an accusation which Topacio stated doesn’t mirror effectively on the Home as an establishment.
“Secondly, he disallowed the counsel to speak to his consumer. He even affirmed this determination by saying that the issue is with the individuals round Cassandra and he was pertaining to me,” Topacio stated.
“Within the pictures beneath, taken throughout the third quad comm listening to, it’s seen that Cassandra is sitting all on her personal whereas being surrounded by the employees of the Home of Representatives. The seat subsequent to her is empty, which needs to be crammed by her counsel. Clearly, this reveals that she is prevented from interacting with anybody, even together with her personal counsel,” he added.
Ong first confirmed up on the quad committee hearings final August 28, as lawmakers needed to make clear the hyperlinks between Whirlwind Company and Fortunate South 99.
Whirlwind is the corporate that leased land in Porac, Pampanga to Fortunate South 99, a Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo).
Ong, nonetheless, refused to reply questions, invoking her proper towards self-incrimination, main lawmakers to quote her for contempt as they believed the questions weren’t incriminating.
It was ultimately lifted after lawmakers deemed her cooperative, answering questions and signing a financial institution secrecy waiver for her supposed three financial institution accounts.
Ong is alleged to carry a 58 % stake at Whirlwind.
Nonetheless, lawmakers imagine Ong can be a part of Fortunate South 99 after a number of useful resource individuals testified to her involvement.
Not less than 186 overseas and Filipino staff have been rescued from the Pogo hub in Porac, which was raided final June 4 over human trafficking considerations.
This isn’t the primary time that Topacio criticized the quad committee members. On September 20, 2024, the lawyer stated that the 4 panels abused their energy to quote useful resource individuals for contempt after Ong’s actions have been deemed contemptible once more.
Topacio pointed to quad committee co-chairperson and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano as one of many lawmakers behind the abuse of contempt orders.
Topacio cited jurisprudence, significantly a case towards the Senate blue ribbon committee filed by Pharmally govt Lincoln Ong, the place the Supreme Court docket stated that there needs to be due course of earlier than a useful resource individual of Congress is cited for contempt.
Fernandez stated Paduano’s actions weren’t an abuse of the powers vested upon Congress, including that refraining from penalizing mendacity useful resource individuals may set a harmful precedent.
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