By ELLSON QUISMORIO
A party list congressman has accused a Labor undersecretary of allegedly stealing his expensive phone and leaving it in another room during a House committee hearing on March 20 at the De Venecia Hall of the Batasan Complex’s south wing annex.
Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin yesterday said that he has filed theft charges against former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto “Jing” Paras who allegedly took his IPhone X worth P74,500.
The case was filed on May 26 before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office.
Paras, who was appointed as Labor undersecretary only last January, was one of the lawyers of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) who previously sued Senator Risa Hontiveros, a former Akbayan representative.
“Kinasuhan ko si former congressman and now Undersecretary for Labor Jing Paras for theft,” the opposition solon said during a press conference.
“Last March during a committee hearing in the Labor committee, habang naghe-hearing po kami, nilapitan niya ako at parang Salisi Gang, dinukot ‘yung aking cellphone,” he said.
Villarin said everything was captured by the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera. He said he was sitting beside the Labor panel chairman when Paras approached him and engaged him in “small talk.”
Screenshots of the CCTV footage provided by Villarin showed Paras placing his own phone on top of the solon’s IPhone X. He left taking both phones.
“Paglingon ko after a few seconds nawala na cellphone ko,” narrated Villarin who eventually found his phone abandoned in another room.
“For more than an hour, hinanap ko. True enough in another room doon nakita ‘yung cellphone na ultimately iniwanan ni former congressman Paras sa mesa. Iyon ay kitang-kita rin sa CCTV,” he continued.
Villarin said that when his camp called Paras regarding the matter, the latter’s aide denied the accusation.
He believes that Paras wanted to access the contents of his phone, but was foiled by its advance features. “It has facial recognition,” he laughed.
“Yung ganung kagarapal na act, hindi dapat palampasin,” Villarin stressed.
