Ethics case vs Alvarez junked; House panel to still hear 2 other complaints

MANILA, Philippines — The ethics complaint filed against the former Speaker and now Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez regarding his supposed habitual absence was dismissed on Thursday due to lack of evidence.

In a briefing after the hearing of the House committee on ethics and privileges, committee chair and COOP NATCCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares said that the only evidence presented by complainants was based on a statement from a lawmaker who supposedly asked Alvarez to show up at work.

The name of the lawmaker cited was not revealed.

Espares said that Alvarez, who attended the hearing, was able to show a letter he wrote to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco regarding a request to work remotely to address concerns in his district.

“But then for the continuous absences, the members resolved that, today, that we are able to dismiss that just because of lack of evidence because the evidence presented there was only based on the the statement of one of our colleagues here, which called on him (Alvarez) to work here in Congress. And then, there is no specific or very concrete documents on how many absences,” Espares said.

“And on the part of the respondent, he was able to show a letter to the Secretary General of his request for allowing him to work in the district.  Not all of the work of a representative is always centered here, their presence is not always here all the time,” he added.

According to Espares, the members of the committee considered it because Alvarez’s district in Davao del Norte was hit by floods.

“So, if there is a request shown as a document evidence, and then he is there during the relief operations — because his district was hit by floods — this was considered by our members, and that was the basis,” he said.

Still, the House panel will meet on Monday, May 20, to discuss two other complaints against Alvarez.

When the House committee on ethics and privileges convened last May 2, vice chairperson and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said there were three complaints against Alvarez: alleged habitual absences, libelous statements against Davao del Norte officials and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo, and supposedly seditious remarks.

READ: House ethics panel finds complaints vs Alvarez ‘sufficient in form’ 

“So, for your information, there were three accusations alleged here as violations. First is the conduct of negligence of duty just because of the continuous absences. The other one is also on the mga defamatory statement, indecent behavior ‘no, during the speeches on the rally, with regards to other government officials,” Espares said.

“And the other one, the seditious statements or words ‘no, coming from our colleague also during that rally.  So, we need to deal with the three complaints or, I mean, violations that were mentioned, and this committee [was] able to come up na we need to continue the hearing on next week.  Okay?  That’s on Monday, for the formal and the adjudicatory hearing for, I think it’s more on the disorderly behavior. Okay? On the statement being uttered during, on the rally,” he added.

Earlier, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy — one of the parties who filed the ethics complaints — said that they believe Alvarez must be expelled from the House.

According to Uy, Alvarez’s call for the police and the military to withdraw their support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government is already too much and cannot be equated to freedom of expression.

Alvarez has been critical of President Marcos’s stance regarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS), telling the Chief Executive that he should focus on domestic problems like food, illegal drugs, and armed insurgency.

But recently, the former Speaker stepped up his criticism of Marcos, now asking the President to resign if he would supposedly drag the Philippines into a conflict with China over the WPS.

Alvarez also urged members of the military to withdraw their support of Marcos, which defense officials believe was an act of sedition.