• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Silay City Legal Officer Janus Jarder was nowhere to be found when the contempt order issued by the House committee on public accounts against him was supposed to be served by the police.
This was confirmed by PCol. Rainerio de Chavez, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, on Tuesday (Jan. 28).
Jarder was cited twice for contempt for lying and for being evasive in answering questions being asked by the committee members during last month’s congressional inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the procurement process of more than P1- billion infrastructure and other projects of the city government.
When the police served the contempt order at his residence on Jan. 6, the lawyer was not around. Instead, it was received by a member of his family, De Chavez said.
He added that a copy of the contempt order was also forwarded to the city government through the City Administrator’s Office.
Had it not for the intervention of Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano, Jarder could have been detained immediately after the congressional inquiry.
Paduano moved for his detention to start on Jan. 6 this year, which was concurred by other committee members.
De Chavez said they were ordered to secure and escort Jarder to the House of Representatives.
He added that they already informed the House committee on public accounts of having served the contempt order. | GB
