Royina Garma, the former chairperson of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), has been cited for contempt by the House of Representatives and subsequently detained.
The decision was made after Garma repeatedly refused to answer questions posed by lawmakers during a congressional inquiry.
Garma’s detention was initiated by Abang Lingkod Partylist Representative Stephen Caraps Paduano, who moved to cite her for contempt following her evasive responses.
She is set to remain in the House of Representatives’ detention facility until the completion of the Quad Committee’s hearings.
The former PCSO chief became emotional and wept as the motion for contempt was presented. Earlier, 1Rider Partylist Representative Rodge Gutierrez had proposed detaining Garma at the Women’s Correctional in Mandaluyong City, while former police officer and Representative Bonifacio Bosita suggested the PNP Custodial Center.
However, the House opted to detain her within its own facilities.
Representative Ace Barbers clarified that the committee could potentially lift the contempt citation if Garma cooperated with the ongoing investigation into extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and illegal drugs.
The issue of lifting the contempt was raised by Representative Romeo Acop, who inquired about the possibility of revoking the citation should Garma choose to cooperate with the committee.
Representative Paduano expressed frustration with Garma’s refusal to answer, particularly when asked about her alleged special relationship with former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Paduano questioned how Garma had managed to secure several influential positions, including an early retirement from the Philippine National Police to assume the PCSO chairmanship.
Garma denied having a close relationship with Duterte, stating that she had been “floating” during his administration.
However, Paduano remained unconvinced, citing Garma’s subsequent appointments to “juicy” positions.