Cagayan governor Mamba appears in House as SC blocks detention order

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba appeared on Thursday in the House of Representatives after a joint committee ordered his detention for failure to attend hearings regarding the alleged illegal expenditures of the local government during the 2022 election campaign.

Mamba apologized to the members of the House committees on public accounts as well as suffrage and electoral reforms for his failure to attend the previous hearings.

“May pagkukulang ako sa inyong lahat for my failure to come here and participate. My apologies,” the governor said.

“I am really sorry for that,” he added.

Mamba said he was not able to attend the hearings because he was swamped with work due to the typhoon that recently hit the province.

“I know the consequences, nawala rin po sa aking isip. I’m really sorry because I was responding to the needs of my constituents,” Mamba said.

“I was also at a quandary about what to prioritize,” he added.

But the members of the House joint committee, which cited him in contempt, said Mamba's explanation was hard to believe.

Speaker Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, welcomed Mamba’s move.

"Governor Mamba's choice to voluntarily surrender is a commendable stride in safeguarding the integrity of our democratic institutions. It signifies his readiness to collaborate with the House's proceedings and underscores a steadfast commitment to the fundamental principles of accountability and transparency," Romualdez said in a statement.

"The House of Representatives is fully committed to adhering to all established legal procedures and safeguards throughout this process, ensuring fairness and due process," he added.

TRO

Prior to this development, Mamba questioned before the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday the contempt and detention orders issued by the House joint committee on August 17.

On Thursday, the SC issued a temporary restraining order blocking their implementation.

The Court also required the House joint committee to comment on the petition within five days of receipt of the notice. — VBL, GMA Integrated News