MANILA - The chairman of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability commended Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Monday for saying that she is willing to cooperate in an inquiry into her province's alleged misuse of funds from tobacco excise taxes.

Marcos' cooperation with the July 25 hearing will save her and her brother from being held in contempt and eventual arrest, said panel leader and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel.

"Maganda po iyun. Kasi sabi ko nga, ako ay nakikiusap kay Governor Imee na dumalo po kayo para hindi na tayo dumating sa punto na we will file a show cause order and eventually a contempt, which will lead to the issuance of a warrant of arrest," Pimentel said in an interview with radio DZMM.

Pimentel warned last week that Marcos and her brother, former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., could be held in contempt if the governor continues snubbing the investigation into the use of Ilocos Norte's tobacco excise tax shares for the purchase of motor vehicles worth P66.45 million.

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This, after the governor admitted that her brother had advised her not to attend the investigation.

On Sunday, a news report quoted Marcos as saying that she will cooperate in the inquiry "on the faith that the committee would conduct its current inquiry in accordance with the letter and spirit of Sec. 21, Art. VI of the Constitution—that the inquiry is in aid of legislation and that the rights of persons appearing therein are protected."

'ILOCOS SIX'

Last March, Pimentel's committee cited in contempt and detained 6 subordinates of Marcos, dubbed as the Ilocos Six, for supposedly giving dismissive answers during previous hearings.

Three Court of Appeals (CA) justices however granted last June 9 the Ilocos Six's privilege of the writ of habeas corpus and request for provisional release with a bail of P30,000 each.

The House of Representatives has defied CA's order, maintaining that lawmakers' power of contempt is not subject to judicial review.

The CA and the House have since traded show cause orders compelling each other to explain why they should not be cited in contempt.

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Pimentel said the Ilocos Six would be released as soon as they give satisfactory explanations on transactions involving the tobacco excise taxes.

"Ang desisyon po ay hindi nasa committee, hindi nasa Congress. Basta sagutin nila ang tanong, pwede na silang umuwi, pwede na po silang i-release," he said.

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