QUEZON CITY – PCapt. Keneth Albotra has been cited in contempt and ordered detained by the House Quad Committee on Tuesday for allegedly lying to the panel in Tuesday's hearing.

House Quad Comm Co-Chairperson and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Paduano moved to cite Albotra in contempt.

"Itong si Albotra kanina pa ito eh. Napakasinungaling nito. Kung hindi mo ma corner, hindi sasagot ng tama," Rep. Paduano said.

"I move to cite in contempt Capt. Albotra for lying in this committee in violation of Section 11, Paragraph C of our rules [House rules of procedure governing inquiry in aid of legislation]," he added.

Rep. Paduano also moved to detain Albotra in the House premises for the duration and until the termination of the hearings and until the committee report is approved and adopted in the plenary.

"I will move to detain Capt. Albotra in the premises of the House until the plenary report will be adopted by the plenary," he said.

Seeing no objections, the motion was approved by House Quad Comm overall chairperson and Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Before making the motion, Paduano was asking the police officer about two of his personnel that he supposedly brought with him when he was assigned to Calamba, Laguna.

Albotra's failure to provide detailed answers about what happened to his subordinates led Paduano to move to cite him in contempt.

"Station 1 Commander ka hindi mo alam na narelieve siya? You're lying. Huwag tayo maglokohan dito ah. Bata mo yung dalawa, bitbit mo pa Calamba and then bumalik ka Cebu tapos hindi mo alam why they are relieved?," Rep. Paduano said.

"I have warned you kanina pa. Hindi ko mabuo yung story. Dahil taga Cebu ka but you were assigned in Dumaguete. Kaya mapa check ko yung record mo. Pati yung dalawa mong tao. Nagsisinungaling ka eh," he added.

Santa Rosa Rep. Dan Fernandez told Albotra that he will "thank the committee" for citing him in contempt since they are after his safety.

Lawmakers are looking into the alleged links between the killings of Tanauan, Batangas mayor Antonio Halili in 2018 and Los Baños, Laguna mayor Caesar Perez in 2020.

In the previous hearing, former PCSO general manager Royina Garma said that Albotra bragged to her that he was part of the team supposedly involved in the shooting of Halili.

Albotra has repeatedly denied the allegations of Garma, saying she was confused.

Former Los Baños councilor Norvin Tamisin also pointed to Albotra as the one allegedly behind the killing of mayor Caesar Perez in 2020.

READ: Ex-councilor details misery after being tagged in slay of Los Baños mayor

Tamisin went to jail for seven months after he was identified as the prime suspect in the shooting of Perez. He said he is speaking now to seek the truth and justice.

Albotra also refuted this claim, saying he was in Cebu at the time of the crime.