Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos is facing arrest if she fulfills her vow to defy a subpoena to testify in a House investigation of the alleged misuse of tobacco funds.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, indicated in a subpoena compelling Marcos to attend the
committee hearing at the House of Representatives on July 25, 2017 that failure to comply with the order is subject to penalty under the law.
Marcos has vowed to snub the hearing reportedly on the advice of her brother, former senator Bongbong Marcos.
House majority leader Rudy Fariñas and Pimentel are leading the investigation of the Ilocos Norte government’s purchase of P66.45 million worth of minicabs, buses and minitrucks for the different Ilocos Norte towns using the local government’s tobacco funds. They consider the purchase in violation of Republic Act 7171.
Under the said law, the excise tax on tobacco should be used for livelihood projects and infrastructure projects benefitting tobacco farmers.
Earlier, the committee cited six officials of the Ilocos Norte government for contempt and detained them for their refusal to attend the hearing.
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