After US trip, House detains Bauan Mayor Dolor for defying summons

MANILA, Philippines — Police authorities apprehended Bauan, Batangas Mayor Ryanh Dolor on Thursday, March 27, after he returned from the United States. 

He was taken into custody by House Sergeant-at-Arms retired police Major General Napoleon Taas upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 12:08 a.m. on Thursday. 

Taas was accompanied by airport police, Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials, and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

He served Dolor with the contempt and detention order issued by the House Committee on Public Accounts.

The panel has been investigating the alleged misuse of public funds in the Bauan local government and issues in its transactions with water concessionaire Aquadata Inc. in Batangas.

The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged Bauan’s contract with Aquadata, deeming it legally and financially unsound due to the firm’s failure to meet prequalification requirements.

Aquadata has supplied water to Bauan since 2013 and to San Pascual since 2015.

The House panel issued a contempt and detention order on March 17 after Dolor repeatedly refused to attend its hearings without a legally or reasonably justified excuse.

He received three invitations but submitted excuse letters for his absence. The panel then issued a show-cause order and a subpoena, compelling him to justify his absence and explain why he should not be penalized.

The panel later learned that Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas had approved Dolor’s travel authority for a US trip from March 11 to March 26 for medical treatment or procedures.

For the committee, the travel authority would have been considered legal and reasonable if it had included medical records or a specific justification in the excuse letter.

Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd District) said during a hearing that the timing of the travel authority was suspicious, as it coincided with the scheduled hearings.

Meanwhile, Rep. Romeo Acop (Antipolo, 2nd District) also discovered that Aquadata president Joseph Yu and vice president Jonathan Yu were overseas during Dolor’s absence.

Both have been cited in contempt and ordered detained by the public accounts committee. The House said Dolor will remain in custody until the committee concludes its hearings.