HOUSE Secretary General Reginald Velasco yesterday said the House of Representatives is already preparing the detention area for Quiboloy so he could have a “pleasant experience” during his stay at the Batasan once he gets arrested for snubbing the hearings of the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.
“Hopefully, they will enjoy their stay here. We promise them a pleasant experience,” Velasco told a press briefing, adding that the detention area is also being prepared for anyone else who would be cited in contempt and be arrested by the House sergeant-at-arms.
With a smirk, Velasco said the detention area is a place where “incoming detainees can stay for a while and be comfortable.”
“These rooms are air-conditioned, accessible to the relatives of the person in detention and to the media, whenever necessary. You can monitor their stay,” the House official said. “It will be ready by (today, Friday).”
Parañaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting earlier said there will be no need to detain Quiboloy if he shows up today as committed by his lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who earlier urged the panel to give his client until Friday to decide if he will attend the House proceedings or not.
Velasco said the House may issue the arrest warrant next week if Quiboloy will not show up today. “It will be ready by tomorrow (today) so it can be served by next week,” he said.
“It will be signed by the chairman of the franchise committee and any authorized House official can sign it. It’s either me or the Speaker (who) can sign the warrant of arrest,” Velasco said. “That’s why we’re going to release it probably Monday or Tuesday.”
Quiboloy was earlier subpoenaed by the House panel to shed light on his role in Swara Sug Media Corporation, operating as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), which has been accused of various violations, particularly the spreading of fake news and red-tagging of critics of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s critics but he snubbed the invitation four times, prompting lawmakers to cite him in contempt.
