Ilocos Norte Governor urged Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte to bring home their conflict over the Ilocos Six instead of turning it into a national issue that causes “embarrassment” to their province.
Marcos said the issue has already led to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez threatening Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno with impeachment.
She also called “unfair” the investigations being conducted by the House on the alleged misuse of P66.45 million tobacco excise funds that led to the detention of six provinicla officials.
“The battle in Congress is not fair. The one who accused you will be the one to investigate, will be the one to rule and in the end, will be the one to put you in jail. That’s the same thing, I think that is not good,” Marcos said in a forum held in Quezon City on Saturday.
“If this is an issue in Ilocos Norte, let’s just have this fight in our place because it is embarrassing that Congress has to be dragged into it,” she added.
The governor urged Fariñas to instead file cases in court against the Ilocos Six so that the latter could present evidence in their defense.
In the same forum, Ilocos Norte Vice Gov. Angelo Barba said the Ilocos Norte provincial government is facing mounting problems as key members of its local finance committee are currently detained at the Batasang Pambansa.
Among the delays plaguing the province, according to Barba, are the distribution of medicines in local hospitals and clinics as well as the gasoline budget for the province’s patrolling policemen.
“Our provincial government is already in need [of financial managers] since our local finance committee are now detained in Congress and most [of the problems in Ilocos Norte] are in the hospitals, the medicines’ budget will be signed by no less than them,” Barba said.
“Let’s just hope that this will stop because this is just all about politics, it is too much politics, and since this [problem] is only confined in the First District [of Ilocos Norte], let’s just talk and resolve this in the right manner,” he added.
Marcos said the next hearing of the House panel investigating the alleged misuse of tobacco excise funds in Ilocos Norte is scheduled on July 25.
She noted that it would be embarrassing for the President to have “hostages” inside Congress while he is delivering his second state of the nation address.
“President Duterte will even see in his SONA [the detainees]. It will be embarrassing, that there are hostages inside Congress while the President is delivering his speech. That is really embarrassing,” Marcos said.