Ex-PDEA chief Villanueva cited in contempt by quad comm

MANILA, Philippines —  The quad committee of the House of Representatives yesterday cited former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Wilkins Villanueva in contempt for lying under oath.

It also cited police Col. Hector Grijaldo in contempt and ordered his arrest after he failed to attend a hearing for the fourth time.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, quad comm lead chair, ordered a copy of the arrest order to be sent to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for implementation.

However, in Villanueva’s case, Barbers said the implementation would be delayed, in the spirit of Christmas, to Jan. 13, 2025 when the House resumes its regular session.

The discussion involving Villanueva during yesterday’s 13th hearing was centered on the complaint of detainee Jed Pilapil Sy, wife of suspected drug lord and Chinese national Allan Sy.

Mrs. Sy testified that she was arrested and made to sign an affidavit by her lawyer – a waiver pertaining to her arrest without the benefit of a warrant of arrest – in their house in Domoy, Davao City in 2004.

She said she was sentenced to imprisonment and jailed for the past 20 years for charges that she did not commit.

Her husband, she added, was killed by authorities prior to her arrest.

The quad comm questioned Villanueva about the warrantless arrest, but he evaded giving direct answers.

Asked by Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. if PDEA agents had a warrant of arrest when they arrested and jailed Mrs. Sy, Villanueva said the woman was not jailed and was just invited for interview.

“Since it’s already delegated to my investigators, I don’t know how many days she was there. My instruction is to conduct an interview on Jed Pilapil Sy because she is really a person of interest,” Villanueva said.

“As to detaining her, I have no personal knowledge, Mr. Chair. We are busy conducting follow up operations and investigation on other sites where the warehouses are located,” he added.

Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, also a former police officer, said Villanueva could not claim lack of knowledge on what transpired later to Mrs. Sy, citing the principle of command responsibility.

As for Grijaldo, Barbers granted the motion of Taguig Rep. Pammy Zamora to have Grijaldo arrested and be detained at the detention facility of the House.

Grijaldo is the policeman who accused Reps. Dan Fernandez (Sta. Rosa, Laguna) and Benny Abante (Manila, 6th District), quad comm co-chairmen, of coercing him to corroborate the testimony of former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and police colonel Royina Garma about the existence of a reward system on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the war on drugs of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Dr. Dominic Guevarra, PNP general hospital orthopedic section chief, said Grijaldo is confined at the Pasig General Hospital where they conducted an evaluation of his condition.

Grijaldo sent an excuse letter saying he could not attend the quad comm hearing for the fourth time because he is still recovering from the medical operation that stemmed from his (shoulder) rotator cuff syndrome.

But Guevarra, under questioning by Zamora, said Grijaldo was “ambulatory” as of Dec. 5 when he last saw him.

“In my opinion, he might have underlying medical condition or acute disorder,” Guevarra said.

According to Zamora, the quad comm has given Grijaldo a lot of leeway to enable him to attend the hearings.

Her colleagues, Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, also said that it took them only a few days to recover from the medical procedures done on rotator cuff and an ACL injury, respectively.

“I think this is the fourth time that he skipped the hearing of the quad comm. But in the Senate, he has no rotator cuff syndrome. I really believed that it is high time, with the indulgence of the quad chairmen, I move to cite col. Hector Grijaldo in contempt,” Zamora said.

“There is a motion to cite Col. Grijaldo in contempt for failing to attend the committee hearing for the fourth time and this is in violation of Section 11 of our rules of procedures in aid of legislation. The motion was duly seconded (by Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong) and no objection was heard. The chair rules that the motion is approved,” Barbers said.

Barbers directed that the “order from the committee to arrest Col. Grijaldo for violating the rules of procedures of quad comm governing inquiries in aid of legislation” be relayed to the police.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP public information officer, said the PNP would assist the quad comm in the implementation of the arrest order.