Labor exec faces more raps over phone theft

MANILA, Philippines — A party-list congressman will file a grave misconduct case against Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras for allegedly stealing his cell phone at the House of Representatives in May.

Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan party-list said he will file the case before the Office of the Ombudsman to bar Paras from holding office.

This comes as the Quezon City prosecutor’s office started the preliminary investigation of the theft and robbery complaint against Paras yesterday.

Paras did not attend the first hearing, as he is supposedly in Switzerland on official business.

Villarin, who attended the hearing, said his camp will request a copy of the surveillance footage from the House to be used as evidence. 

“This case will be pursued to its conclusion to show Paras and his ilk that harassing opposition legislators through juvenile acts of theft of a cell phone, perhaps to get information, will be punished severely,” he said in a text message. 

Villarin said his phone went missing for more than an hour and was later found in a nearby room by security officers.

Paras reportedly said that he must have accidentally picked up the wrong phone when he left the room to move to another congressional hearing. 

The next hearing on the criminal complaint is set on July 16.