CCTV video captures alleged theft of Rep. Tom Villarin’s cellphone supposedly by Labor Usec. Jacinto Paras.(Courtesy of: Office of Rep Tom Villarin)
Akbayan partylist Representative Tom Villarin filed a criminal case at the Quezon City Prosecution Office against Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras over the alleged theft of his cellphone by the latter during a congressional hearing in March.
Villarin requested for a copy of the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage which purportedly captured Usec Paras committing the act.
He recounted that his phone suddenly went missing after Paras came up to him and engaged in small talk, saying: “Kayo pala ni Senator Hontiveros ang magkasama (So, you’re here with Senator Hontiveros).”
“Habang nag hehearing kami, nilapitan niya ako parang ‘salisi gang’ dinukot ang aking cellphone (During the hearing he came up to me, and like the ‘salisi gang’ he snatched my cellphone),” Villarin said.
He added that they searched for the missing mobile phone for several minutes before finding it in the conference room next door.
Paras on the other hand, fervently denied the accusation against him and added that he may have picked up Villarin’s phone by accident.
“Hindi ko alam na nadala ko ang cellphone niya(I wasn’t aware that I had his cellphone). I moved to another hearing room, probably I have left it there,” he said.
He also refuted claims that he wanted to extract information from the lawmaker’s cellphone.
“Paano ko naman kukunin ang impormasyon sa kanya halos lahat ng cellphone mayroong passcode yan eh….Kung magnanakaw ako eh di inuwi ko ang cellphone niya,” Paras added.
(How was I supposed to get information when almost all cellphones have passcodes? If I were a thief, I would have brought his cellphone home.)
Nevertheless, the undersecretary said he is ready to defend himself in court and clear his name. — Grace Casin | UNTV News & Rescue
The post Rep. Villarin files theft charges vs Labor Usec. Paras appeared first on UNTV News.