House Revamp
While the Senate is saddled with law making and investigations, the House has been preoccupied with its own set of issues to take from among its ranks.
As early as September last year, resolutions (HRs 222 and 229) have been filed seeking transparency in the allocation and disbursement of the House budget, including the Office of the Speaker. Recall that last September, a verified complaint was filed by Atty. Roberto Rafael Pulido against Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. for alleged unethical misconduct, which the House Committee on Rules dismissed last December.
On 4 February, a week after the resumption of session from the holiday break, another challenge was cast against Speaker De Venecia. Rep. Abraham Kahlil Mitra (Palawan, 2nd district) moved to declare the speakership vacant.
The Speaker, in his question of privilege and an hour of litany against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and House colleagues failed to stop the reform bloc from unseating him. In a vote of 174-35 and 16 abstentions, Rep. De Venecia (Pangasinan, 4th district), who was elected speaker for a record five times, was removed from his post. Succeeding him is Rep. Prospero Nograles (Davao City, 1st district), the first house speaker from Mindanao.
Political Vendetta?
Members of the so-called reform bloc deny that the move to oust de Venecia was a political vendetta, yet the reason behind the move seems apparent to most members of the chamber. Earlier that day, leaders of the administration member-parties held a caucus in Malacañang for a possible change in the House leadership. It was agreed in the meeting that voting would be done the following day as their respective constituents should be consulted first. However, voting pushed through in that afternoon's plenary session.
Last year's House leadership tiff-turned-tussle led by Rep. Pablo Garcia Sr. (Cebu, 2nd district) came to a heady conclusion spurred by the ongoing Senate NBN-ZTE probe. Speaker De Venecia's son, Joey, implicated members of the first family and close cabinet members to the anomalous transaction.
Image or Mirage
Frivolity has not escaped the motion declaring the speakership vacant. House members' zeal to rekindle the faltering image of the House has been triggered by the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which showed a net satisfaction rating of +3 for the House as opposed to +19 garnered by the Senate. The survey, which was topped by Senate President Manuel Villar for public officials with a net rating of +59, covered the period from 30 November to 3 December 2007.
Rep. Antonio Cerilles (Zamboanga del Sur, 2nd district), meanwhile, blames the House leadership for the consistently low ratings. From the point of view of the movant, Rep. Mitra, said the "foul smell" did not come from a public dump near the area but from the Speaker's office within the halls of Batasan. This according to him, was the reason why the House not only became the critics' punching bag but the public's punchline as well.
For Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. (Makati City, 1st district), the reason for the consistent lower ratings than the Senate was that the House under Speaker de Venecia was perceived as the President's apologist thus reducing the House to a rubber stamp.
A House under a new leadership does not inspire much hope. What does is an independent, responsive and accomplishment driven legislature. The public's impressions would judge whether the so-called "image" being sought is just a mirage or a befitting one.
Unfinished Business
This image seeking may not have seem to end with the change in leadership. On the contrary, it may have set-off changes in the legislative cabal as some House members attest to.
Former Speaker de Venecia himself, at the end of his speech, moved to amend the motion to include the rest of the leadership ranks and house committee positions vacant. Rep. Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan City, lone district) questioned how reforms could be achieved with only the position of the Speaker being changed. It was later ruled a different issue and should be resolved separately.
Rep. Ronald Singson (Ilocos Sur, 1st district), though he voted "Yes", appealed to the new majority to avoid "witch-hunting" on members who voted against or abstained in the motion. He seemed to express his concern especially for his uncle, Rep. Eric Singson (Ilocos Sur, 2nd district) who voted in the negative. Rep. Ronald Singson also made an appeal to allow his uncle to retain his post as Deputy Speaker of the House.
Deputy Speaker Singson is among those whose post is on the rocks following his stand on the motion regarding the speakership. Of the five deputy speakers, only Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa (Occidental Mindoro, lone district) voted in favor of removing De Venecia. Deputy Speakers Raul del Mar (Cebu City, first district) and Simeon Datumanong (Maguindanao, lone district) voted against the motion while Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella (Camarines Sur, third district) was not able to vote. Also voting "No" to the motion was Chairman of the House Electoral Tribunal Mauricio Domogan (Baguio City, lone district).
Following De Venecia's tail of the "general cleaning" in the House was Secretary General Roberto Nazareno, who was succeeded by Marilyn Yap. She is the first woman secretary general of the House and was former Deputy Executive Director of the Committee on Rules.
Meanwhile, the head of House contingent of the powerful Commission on Appointments is surely to be filled up following Speaker Nograles' election. Party affiliation and committee memberships remain unclear but one thing is apparent, the battle for domination in the House has just begun.
Vote of the Chairpersons of the Different House Committees on the Motion to Declare the Speakership Vacant
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