DOLE’s Jing Paras accused of theft for allegedly stealing phone

Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras was accused by Akbayan party-list Representative Tomasito “Tom” Villarin of trying to steal his phone that worths P74,000.

Villarin filed a theft complaint against Paras before the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City. The media was only able to obtain a copy of it on Tuesday, May 29.

In his complaint, Villarin said he was attending a public hearing of the House of Representative’s Committee on Labor at the De Venecia Hall on March 20 when Paras talked to him.

He said although he did not know Paras personally, the latter greeted him, saying “Kayo pala ni Senator [Risa] Hontiveros ang magkasama (You and Senator Hontiveros are colleagues).”

Villarin and Hontiveros both belong to Akbayan.

The lawmaker said while he engaged in a small talk, Paras put his mobile phone on the top of his phone, an Iphone X, which was placed on top of Villarin’s table. Afterwards, Paras picked up both mobile phones from the table and left the hall.

Villarin stressed Paras went to Zulueta Hall on the 2nd floor of the same building. The complainant then realized that his phone was missing and tried to locate it.

When he was not able to find it, he asked a member of his staff to call his phone and after it rang for several times, his cellular phone was answered by one of the members of the Legislative Security Bureau (LSB).

The Akbayan party-list representative then sent a letter to Lt. Col. Isabelito Flores, Executive Director of the LSB, requesting a copy a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage to find out how his phone ended up in Zulueta Hall.

The CCTV footage, according to Villarin, clearly shows Paras was holding two cellular phones.

In a press conferrence, Villarin said that Paras might be attempting to get information that may be used against Hontiveros.

“Yes, possibly that’s the main motive why he wanted my phone, to get information,” he said.

Paras previously filed criminal charges of kidnapping, obstruction of justice, and abuse and exploitation of minors against Hontiveros for allegedly “harboring” underage witnesses in the case of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos.

He also said Hontiveros was liable for wiretapping when she presented a photo of the text exchange between former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and a certain “Cong Jing” during a privilege speech at the Senate last year.

Villarin stressed that if Paras did not take his phone intentionally, he could have answered the call and said “Sorry, nadampot ko lang (I accidentally picked it up),” but such thing did not happen.

Paras, reacting to this complaint, said the accusations against him were not true.

“Bakit ko naman nanakawin yung cellphone niya? [Isasangkalan] ko yung buong reputation ko at buhay para manakaw lang yung cellphone niya (Why would I steal his cellphone? I would put my reputation and life on the line just to steal his cellphone)?” Paras was quoted as saying in a GMA report.

He explained he was rushing to Zulueta Hall to attend the hearing of the Committee on Mindanao Affairs.

“Hindi ko alam na nadala ko yung cellphone niya (I did not know I picked his cellphone up). I have moved to another room. So probably I have left it there pagkatapos nung nagsalita ako doon (after I spoke there). Nung paalis na ako, hindi ko alam na nadala ko pala yun, tapos pagkaalis ko, naiwan ko siguro doon [sa Zulueta Hall] (When I was about to leave the hall, I did not know I brought his phone, and when I went out of the room, I might have left it there),” Paras said.

Paras was a former member of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and also a former Negros Occidental representative.