MANILA – Members of the Senate blue ribbon committee agreed yesterday to issue a detention order against former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot.

They did not cover Ligot's wife, Erlinda, who was spared due to health reason.

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Teofisto Guingona Jr. said nine members of the panel favored the issuance of an arrest order against Ligot for failure to attend the Senate inquiry on Thursday despite findings of the Senate physician that “he could have attended.”

“Out of humanitarian reasons, we did not include Ligot’s wife because of her sensitive health condition,” Guingona said.

Dr. Mariano Blancia Jr., the Senate physician tasked to examine the health of the Ligot couple, said Mrs. Ligot’s blood pressure is normal at 120/80 while her husband has no fever and “fit” to attend despite flu-like symptoms.

With the doctor’s finding, Guingona recommended the motion to cite the two in contempt.

Guingona said the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate is already set to serve the detention order against Ligot, who repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination in the previous Senate hearings on the corruption in the military.

The Ligot couple snubbed the Thursday inquiry, citing health reason with Ligot saying he is down with flu, while Mrs. Ligot claimed she is suffering from severe palpitations and acute gastroenteritis.

Ligot and his family members are facing a forfeiture case before the Sandiganbayan.*PNA

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