Nograles: ‘There’s no bullying’ amid ‘pork’ controversy

“No, there’s no bullying.”

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles made this categorical denial on Wednesday when asked over ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) if indeed he was bullied by House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya during a meeting last Monday.

Nograles, chair of the House committee on appropriations, explained that the meeting of the panel, attended by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was held in a closed-door to allow a “free-for-all” and “no holds barred” discussion on issues.

“Everybody just say your piece, talk, let what you think and feel out and mag usap tayo, mag usap tayo ng masinsinan,” he said during the interview.

“No there’s no bullying,” he pointed out. “There was discussion and syempre you know how it is when people discuss things like in a family. Meron talagang ganyan kahit sa barkada, kahit sa grupo, basta tayo tayo lang nag-usap.”

He refused to provide details on what transpired during the meeting.

Because at the end of the day, Nograles said, they are all “professionals” and “all grown ups.”

“At the end of the day were just workers , workers of government lang po tayo. Let’s move on…” he said.

“Let’s just move on. Ok na yun, trabaho lang tayo,” the lawmaker added.

It was Camarines Sur Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte, who earlier claimed that he and Nograles were allegedly bullied by Andaya.

READ: Villafuerte accuses Andaya of ‘bullying’ during meeting at House

But Andaya denied Villafuerte’s claim.

“Wala. Yung nangyari kanina usapang lalaki ‘yun. Hindi naman ako kiss and tell… Wala kaming hinahamon o binu-bully lalung-lalo na that the Speaker [former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] was there,” the Majority Leader said.

(Nothing. What happened earlier was a man-to-man issue. I don’t kiss and tell. I neither challenged nor bulied anyone, especially considering that the Speaker was there.)  /muf