- MANILA: Philippine senators have freed from five days of detention a retired general who they accused of faking illness to skip last week’s hearing on a military corruption scandal.
The Senate’s Blue Ribbon committee cited retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife in contempt and had him detained at the Senate building late Thursday after the couple said they were ill and skipped that day’s hearing. A doctor later told the irate lawmakers the two were strong enough to attend.
Ligot and his wife attended the Senate hearing Tuesday to explain they were really sick last week. They promised to cooperate in a probe on alleged massive military graft.
They denied any wrongdoing and refused to answer questions in detail.
