MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers on Wednesday spent a lot of time questioning the competence and credibility of former Bureau of Customs X-ray division chief Lourdes Mangaoang.
During the House probe into P6.8 billion in shabu that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency alleges slipped into the Philippines, Mangaoang maintained that the magnetic lifters believed to have been previously packed with methamphetamine really contained drugs.
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“As an image analyst, ang masasabi ko based on the image, may laman. Hindi po puwedeng sabihin ng X-ray na ‘yan ay shabu. But I’m basing my statement na tingin ko shabu ‘yan because I am a seasoned investigator, a lawyer, and I have prosecuted drug smugglers before and caused their conviction,” she said.
(As an image analyst, I can say that based on the image, it contained something. The X-ray can’t indicate if it’s shabu. But I’m basing my statement that it contained shabu [on the image]because I am a seasoned investigator, a lawyer, and I have prosecuted drug smugglers before and caused their conviction.)
During the legislative inquiry, Reps. Henry Oaminal (Misamis Occidental) and Romeo Acop (Antipolo) grilled Mangaoang on her qualifications on X-rays.
Mangaoang said she had been head of the x-ray division from 2007 to 2013.
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Lawmakers bring up reassignment
She was also asked whether or not her criticism of Customs chief Commissioner Isidro Lapeña was triggered by the reassignments ordered by her former boss.
“Doon sa reassignments na ginawa sayo, halata naman na hindi ka masaya. Nagkaroon ka ng ill will with what Commissioner Lapeña has been doing to you (It’s obvious that you were unhappy with the reassignments. You then harbored ill will with what Commissioner Lapeña has been doing to you,” Acop said.
Mangaoang denied Acop’s assumption, saying she accepted her work reassignments although she admitted she was not happy about her transfer to the Compliance Monitoring Unit in Albay.
Acop also asked if the former Customs official should be entitled to full faith, noting “there is a strong reason” for him to believe that she has “improper motive.” This, after Mangaoang was sacked as deputy collector at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before she was reassigned to CMU.
An irked Mangaoang responded that she only attended the hearing because she was invited by the lawmakers.
“I was asked here to become resource speaker but I feel like I am being prosecuted? Why do you say that I am harboring ill will? That is unfair. If you don’t need me, I will leave,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
But Rep. Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte) told her she was invited to shed light on a sensitive issue.
“You are a public servant. You cannot storm out. Otherwise, we will have to take action for that,” he said.
After the heated discussion, Acop cited reasons for holding witnesses in contempt.
Mangaoang then apologized to the committee but Acop maintained his personal conclusion against her.
“Her credibility remains questionable since an improper motive exists on her part which makes her testimony untrustworthy and unreliable,” he said.