Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas did not grant an interview, while QC 6th District Rep. Maria Victoria Co-Pilar managed to elude the press after testifying in yet another closed-door hearing of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Vargas and Co-Pilar requested an executive session during their testimony on Thursday at the ICI.
According to contractor Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya, Vargas and Co-Pilar allegedly solicited money from his firm after it won a government project bid.
Discaya identified 18 lawmakers who allegedly asked for a cut, and six of them, including Vargas and Co-Pilar, already went to the ICI. Also tagged by Discaya, Caloocan City 3rd District Rep. Dean Asistio, and Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos Atayde already appeared before ICI on Tuesday, while Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynante Arrogancia and Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tarriela also followed suit on Wednesday.
Yielding to mounting pressure from the public and with critics saying it could cast doubt on the commission’s findings, the ICI allowed live streaming of hearings, but with a tricky loophole, as those summoned could still request an executive session.
So far, all six lawmakers have requested their hearings to be a closed-door one