“Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Antonio Cerilles said the bottom line is that De Venecia had lost the confidence of congressmen.”by Ducky ParedesHas Speaker Jose de Venecia lost it? It sure looks that way. Joe’s own majority floor leader and party mate, Rep. Prospero Nograles of Davao may be the speaker before the week ends. The move to unseat one of the longest-sitting Speakers is gearing up to be an unstoppable tidal wave fueled by, if nothing else, pure politics.Joe and his wife Gina, despite their best efforts to show that they remain in total control of the House, admitted in a television interview that “some Lakas members” may have have gravitated towards the President’s own party, KAMPI.A Lakas congressman, Marc Douglas Cagas IV, confirmed this when he said the clamor for change at the House cuts across party lines, while belying the spin that KAMPI is raiding the ranks of Lakas.Clearly, the President is behind the moves against De Venecia. Although Malacanang feigns a hands-off attitude, it is clear that the reason what Msalacanang wants Joe out is the mess that his son, Joey created when he testified against some of Gloria’s helpers on the NBN-ZTE Deal. While the story that Joey tells is essentially a tall tale, still, the De Venecia son dealt a lot of deadly blows against Gloria that necessitated her backing out by canceling the contract.Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Antonio Cerilles said the bottom line is that De Venecia had lost the confidence of congressmen. Cerilles said that after De Venecia faced the most serious challenge on his speakership at the start of the 14th Congress last year, he should have seen the writing on the wall.The congressman said his colleagues, even those belonging from De Venecia’s Lakas, made it clear to the Speaker that he should effect change and change himself or else he should ship out.The imprimatur, according to Cerilles, was in the form of a unanimous resolution passed by Congress which ordered De Venecia to make a full accounting of how House funds had been used under his term.To this day, De Venecia has not made a full disclosure of how taxpayers’ money had been used by his administration – a move that many congressmen see as a slap in the collective face of all congressmen who signed the resolution.Still, although that move was initiated by Gloria’s Own Party – Kampi – it could not really get moving without the open support of Malacanang. The present moves, initiated after Joey de Venecia spoke before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, has the support of two congressmen – Kampi’s Dato Arroyo and Lakas’ Mikey Arroyo, the president’s sons. Yet, even these two Arroyos claim that Malacanang is not behind the oust-JDV moves.JDV has been an outstanding Speaker as far as his being innovative. No one else has been able to provide the country and much of the Third World with viable programs in addressing poverty, third world debt, hunger and a lot of other problems. Still, although JDV takes a A stand of “apres moi, le deluge” of the late French President Charles de Gaulle, what is actually being suggested is that of a “surgical incision” where only De Venecia will be replaced and the Congress’ bureaucracy and leadership remain where they are.Clearly, the problem is not any bigger than JDV. He is the problem; thus, he is the only target.Congressman Cagas of Lakas, JDV’s own party says: “The move to oust Speaker De Venecia cuts across all party lines in the House and is an expression of a general clamor from all members of the lower chamber regardless of party to effect a change for a better, more effective and more responsive leadership.”So there is no need to raid the ranks of Lakas to get additional support for the move to oust De Venecia from the Speaker’s chair. Members of Lakas themselves are clamoring for the resignation or ouster of Speaker De Venecia so as to infuse renewed vigor in the pursuit by the House of the interests of the entire Filipino people.”He adds that the Filipino people should look at the current Speakership issue as a “non-partisan affair.” Cagas says: “It is a common sentiment among the members of the House that there is at present a need for immediate change in leadership so that the chamber can move forward fast enough to confront the serious challenges facing our country.”Cavite Congressman Crispin Remulla yesterday advised Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. to “live up to your words” by himself nominating his successor to the Speakership.
Speaker JDV’s favorite words are ‘heroic’ and ‘historic’,” said Remulla. “I advise him to live up to those words by stepping down from the Speaker’s chair and nominating a congressman from Mindanao to be the next Speaker.”
Remulla gave the “friendly advice” in the wake of reports that many members of the House of Representatives, especially members of KAMPI, a party identified with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are moving to oust De Venecia from the Speakership.
Remulla explained that if De Venecia voluntarily yields the Speaker’s Chair to a Mindanao congressman, he would be doing a “heroic” gesture, which also would be “historic” because no congressman from Mindanao has yet occupied the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“It is time that Speaker De Venecia should live up to his noble words,” said Remulla. “He should make the supreme sacrifice by giving way to diffuse the tension in the House and keep it going so it can fully concentrate on serving our people.”
“Low credibility rating drags down Congress members,” says Congressman Amado Bagatsing of Manilla.
“Give a new lease of life to Congress, Mr De Venecia has not offered anything but patronage politics, has not shown exemplary leadership as evidenced by a lot of his relatives dominating juicy contracts which he can squeeze using his influence, time to look for a leader who can inspire.
“There are just too many House members who don’t trust Mr. De Venecia now.”
“If not now, when?” adds Congressman Bagatsing.
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