WHY IS Rodrigo Duterte battling with the House of Representatives?
The former president said the Lower House is the “most rotten” institution in the country because “there is no limit to their pork barrel.”
Duterte’s declaration came after the House deprived several agencies, including the Office of the Vice President, of confidential funds, and diverted more than P1.2 billion of those funds to agencies charged with State security.
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The National Intelligence Coordination Agency, the National Security Council, and the Philippine Coast Guard, are among the agencies that benefited from the realignment of confidential funds from the OVP and the Department of Education.
Duterte’s tirades are now being read as effective notice of the breakup of the administration coalition that catapulted Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte to the top two elective positions of the land.
The House, headed by the President’s cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez, has defended its actions claiming that the decision to realign the confidential funds was made to benefit the nation and not to deride any individual including the Vice President.
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The exchange took an ugly turn when former President Duterte said that confidential funds are intended to finish the communists, adding that he wanted to kill Rep. France Castro of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list.
Citing serious threats to her personal security and safety, Castro is reported to be filing today a criminal complaint for grave threats against Duterte at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
Castro is a current member of the House. Will its leadership support her actions?
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Members of the House appear to have unified themselves behind the Speaker. Contrary to expectations, Duterte’s attacks did not seem to sway congressmen to support his daughter.
In fact, lawyer Melvin Matibag has resigned as Secretary General of Duterte’s PDP-Laban, in apparent solidarity with his wife Rep. Rene Ann Lourdes Matibag of Laguna.
Matibag said that “I will not be a part of a political party that will turn against the institution where my wife belongs.”
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He did not name names but Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, a close ally of President Marcos, made a veiled reference to Duterte’s obtuse statements when he said yesterday that “the last thing we need right now is for crass, divisive politics distracting us from the possible problems that could arise from this brewing crisis.”
In another television appearance last week, Duterte said he would want to smack House Secretary General Reginald Velasco’s mouth who had earlier said that several congressmen were not only offended but threatened by the remarks against Rep. Castro.
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Was it wise for Duterte to have made this direct attack against the House?
Already, kibitzers are hinting at impeachment proceedings being initiated against the Vice President.
Under the Constitution, the House has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases against impeachable officers – among whom is the Vice President.
Being essentially a numbers game, the grounds for removal from office have been interpreted to suit the political sentiments of a given time.
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In case of a vacancy in the office of the Vice President after an impeachment conviction the President may choose a successor from among the ranks of senators and congressmen.
Will this threat be sufficient for the former President to tone down his rhetoric?/PN
